Consequence of Steam
by TRikiD
Summary: Black Ice is a unique dragon with the elemental powers of both Undead and Water, which is what made Master Eon believe in her to train and become a great Skylander. But unlike Master Eon, Eruptor never believed in her, or even liked her from the moment they met. So, when Eruptor finally snaps, he shows Black Ice what he really thinks of her.
1. Chapter 1 - Not So Welcoming

**Rated T for some adult themes in future chapters. If you don't like that kind of stuff, then just leave.**

* * *

Consequence of Steam

Chapter 1 - Not So Welcoming

On the day that Master Eon had found little baby dragon Spyro right after he hatched and fought off a gang of Greebles all on his own, Master Eon hadn't expected to find another surprising gift on the same day.

Just as the old, beard-loving wizard was traveling through the rest of the Skylands to bring Spyro back home to the academy, after the sun had set and the moon and stars had come out, Eon was holding little Spyro close when he was walking through a thick forest, and he suddenly heard a rustle.

He followed the rustling to a nearby bush, where he pushed the leafy brambles away and found something rather unexpected. Inside the bush was a nest, much like Spyro's, and inside was a dragon egg. It was coated with white scales and shimmering black markings. And soon enough, a dragon hatched from the said egg.

Eon watched in amazement as the little hatchling slipped from her egg, for he could tell that she was not like any other dragon before her. She had flawless scales as white as snow, and her underbelly scales, tiny horns and back plates were a shimmering black.

"My, my, my, aren't you just a special little dragon?" Eon whispered with astonishment, as the dragon opened her eyes to reveal beautiful green orbs, but when Eon leaned down and reached out a hand to pet her, she whimpered and curled back into her nest.

"She's not as awesome as me, Eon," young Spyro scoffed.

"But she may be in time, Spyro, just like you. You both deserve a chance," Eon chuckled at the purple dragon hatchling, and he stared back at the she-dragon with a smile and spoke softly, "it's ok, little one, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

The black and white hatchling became calmer the more she heard Eon's soft voice, and she soon smiled and crawled up to Eon's hand, her tiny wings fluttering with excitement when he gently scooped her up.

"Now, that's better. Let's go, you two. I think you're going to like your new home," Eon sighed and continued his journey back to the academy.

* * *

Little Eruptor was always really angry and short-tempered, and he was a difficult child to play nice with. The only other child who would play with him was his best friend Stealth Elf, as she was usually agile enough to dodge his fiery attacks when he lost control.

But after he and Stealth Elf heard that their master, Eon, headed out without saying why last night perplexed both of them, so they headed to his library the next morning to find him.

"Master Eon?! Master Eon!" Stealth Elf called, but Eruptor only growled at her loud voice.

"Be quiet, will ya? I'm still tired," Eruptor grumbled and flopped down in the floor in exhaust.

"Didn't you just, like, sleep all night?" Stealth Elf asked in annoyance.

"No, I can't get a full twelve hours when you wake me up too early. Eon's not even here, so let's just go back home so I can go back ta bed."

"No, I wanna find out why Master Eon just left last night, and I'm not leaving without any answers. So, you can sleep right there on the floor if you want, but I'm going to keep looking." With that, Stealth Elf continued her search through the library for Master Eon.

But little Eruptor just growled and rolled his eyes before closing them and trying to go back to sleep, but his attempt to drift back into dream land was short-lived when something heavy suddenly landed on him.

Eruptor grunted in pain and pushed off what ever landed on him, and he was soon glaring at the same black and white she-dragon that Eon had rescued, as well as Spyro, yesterday.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Eruptor growled angrily while towering over the little dragon, and she began to shrink and whimper with fear.

"Now, Eruptor, be nice to her. She's one of my new guests," Eon cut in kindly while pushing Eruptor away, but he still glared at the hatchling.

"There you are, Master Eon! Where did you go? Ooh, and who are these guys?" Stealth Elf asked with excitement, and she was even more excited when she saw the new purple and white dragons.

"Stealth Elf, Eruptor, I would like you to meet Spyro, a dragon with a powerful fire breath, and Black Ice, a rare dragon with the combined elements of Undead and Water.

"What? Ya mean they're staying here?" Eruptor asked angrily.

"Yes, they are, Eruptor," Eon replied.

"Ooh, are they going to train to be Skylanders like us?" Stealth Elf questioned.

"Hopefully, yes. I know you all have the potential to become Skylanders, and I also hope you can become great friends along the way."

"I don't think so," Eruptor huffed while crossing his arms and once again glared at Black Ice.

"I-I'm sorry I landed on you. I was trying to practice flying, and I guess something went wrong. But I really am sorry," Black Ice apologized while placing a paw on Eruptor's shoulder, but she immediately pulled it away when she burnt it on his hot rock skin.

But Eruptor didn't say anything else, he just scoffed and rolled his eyes before leaving the library.

"It's ok, Black Ice. You just need to give him some time," Eon reassured.

"Yeah, E's always like that," Stealth Elf added with a smile, and then stuck out her hand, "I'm Stealth Elf."

"H-hi," Black Ice stuttered after realizing she made a new friend, and she soon took Stealth Elf's hand in her paw and shook it.

"Hey, lemme get in on some of this!" little Spyro laughed while budding in between the girls, making them laugh too.

But while they were getting along well, Eruptor was secretly watching from behind a tall stack of books, and he didn't like it when his only friend was making more friends…which would means she wouldn't have time for him anymore.

But he didn't completely blame Stealth Elf. No, he mostly blamed Black Ice, she was the first to steal his best friend away. And so, out of sheer jealousy, Eruptor told himself that he wouldn't become friends with that best friend stealer.

* * *

And Eruptor kept that promise, despite somehow remaining best friends with stealth Elf and becoming good friends with Spyro. But over the years, Eruptor just couldn't bring himself to want to become friends with Black Ice. There was just something about her meek demeanor and introversion that made his magma insides bubble and bring out the worst in him, and it didn't help that his hot temper had grown worse over the years.

It's just that every time Black Ice would come over to play with him or Spyro or Stealth Elf, Eruptor just didn't feel right whenever she was around. So, when no one was around, Eruptor would bully her and call her a freak for being part Undead and part Water, and he threatened to hurt her if she told on him…and she never did.

So, Black Ice eventually learned to be more wary around Eruptor, and for the most part, she knew how to fight for herself with her sharpened Undead and Water elements.

But with the final Skylander exam coming up tomorrow, whish would determine who would be ready to graduate into a full-fledged Skylander, Eruptor was even more stressed than usual…and, as usual, he would take his anger out on Black Ice.

"Why is Hugo always so afraid of sheep?" Black Ice asked Stealth Elf, who shrugged in response, after Hugo came running though the academy yard and tripped while dropping the book contents of his bag when he saw a sheep.

"Dude, seriously. Seek help," Spyro chuckled after saving Hugo from the 'savage' sheep and picking it up in his claws and flying up in the air with it.

"'Ey, Spyro, throw me that, will ya?" Eruptor called.

"Heads up, E!" Spyro shouted back and dropkicked the sheep to Eruptor, who immediately threw it at really hard at Black Ice's head once he effortlessly caught it. Black Ice would have normally reacted with a surprised expression since sheep are very soft, but it actually hurt this time due to Eruptor's strength.

"Jeez, Eruptor! Did you have to throw it so hard? This is supposed to be FRIENDLY game of Sheep Ball," Stealth Elf pointed out angrily while catching Black Ice before she could fall to the ground from dizziness.

"What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger," Eruptor protested with a shrug, making Stealth Elf give him the death glare, but she soon focused back on her other dragon friend.

"Hey, are you ok, Ice?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine…just a little bump, is all," Black Ice replied while shaking the dizziness away and tried to stand up on her own. But then she looked at Eruptor, as if to ask 'why?', but all she got was a harsh glare, so she just stared down in defeat.

Suddenly, a loud bell rang, and that alerted the other trainees to get going onto class.

"Well, looks like we're gonna be late again," Eruptor sighed.

"'We'?" Stealth Elf chuckled, and she suddenly poofed out of sight to teleport to class instantly.

"Yeah, last one there's a rotten egg!" Spyro cheered while darting through the sky to get to class…but not before writing 'Spyro Wins' in the sky.

And after being left alone with the one person that absolutely despises her, Black Ice immediately began to shake in her scales when she realized she was left alone with Eruptor. She couldn't even feel her wings to fly away, as she tried to avoid contact while slowly walking away.

"MOVE!" Eruptor boomed while pushing passed Black Ice to sprint to get to class on time. But when he shoved her, they were running over a bridge, and even though it wasn't that high off the ground, and the river was barely a stream, when Eruptor managed to completely shove Black Ice off of the bridge, she fell down into the shallow water and rocks below.

The next thing Black Ice knew, she heard a loud SNAP and felt a horrible pain in her left wing. After struggling like a turtle getting off of its back, Black Ice gasped at the horrible sight of her broken left wing.

This wasn't good. Black Ice knew she was most likely going to need flight to pass the final Skylander test, but she can't do that now, not with a broken wing.

 _What am I going to do?_ Black Ice thought with fear, as she grunted a bit in pain while trying to climb out of the stream and up the small hill.

"Oh, my goodness! Black Ice, what happened to you?!" Hugo shouted and suddenly came running up to Black Ice when he saw her broken left wing.

"I, uh…I-I guess I was just being reckless, and I fell," Black Ice lied, knowing that it wouldn't end well if Eruptor found out she told the truth.

"Oh, you poor thing. Hurry, come with me. I might be able to bandage that up and get you to class before it's over," Hugo stated with concern and helped Black Ice to the library to patch her up.

* * *

Luckily, Hugo was able to keep his promise of getting Black Ice to Professor Jet Vack's class before it was over…unfortunately, when Black Ice finally showed up, it was awkward for everyone since they were in the middle of a pop quiz.

"Wow. And I thought Spyro was irresponsible. What's your excuse for being so late, Black Ice? Huh?" Jet Vack soon spoke up, anger clear in his tone, as Black Ice drooped her head and took her seat…which was to the right of Eruptor's seat. Fortunately, Jet Vack's sharp eye usually kept Eruptor's bullying at bay…most of the time.

"I-I'm sorry, Professor Jet Vack. I had an accident on my way here, and I broke my wing, and then Hugo had to bandage my wing," Black Ice lied once more.

"Well, a broken wing may have kept you from being on time, but it'll NEVER keep you from completing a pop quiz," Jet Vack stated firmly while slapping a pen and a pop quiz on Black Ice's desk.

* * *

By the time Black Ice was finished with her quiz, the other students had already left because they started well before her, and Jet Vack wasn't happy to have to wait for her the whole time.

When she was finally able to leave, she went to catch up with her friends and found them at the training grounds, as Stealth Elf was successfully cutting through the dummies on the obstacle course with her blades.

"Alright, not bad, Elfy!" Eruptor cheered while giving his best friend a high five. But when he saw Black Ice approaching them, his smile immediately turned into a frown.

"Yeah, you did pretty good out there, Elf," Black Ice added with a smile, but Stealth Elf could clearly hear the sadness in her voice.

"Aw, Ice, I'm sorry about your wing. Do you think you'll be ok?" Stealth Elf asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, but thanks for the concern."

"No problem. And don't worry, I'm sure you'll pass the final test, with or without flying."

"You really think so?"

"Sure, just as long as you get plenty of rest."

"You can't be serious. Who wants a crippled dragon on their Skylander team? I know I don't," Eruptor cut in angrily.

"Don't listen to him, Ice. You'll do just fine and I'll always be there to support you," Stealth Elf reassured while glaring at Eruptor, and then smiled back at Black Ice.

"Thanks, Stealth Elf. I'll certainly do my best tomorrow," Black Ice sighed with a pitiful smile, but it soon turned to a frown when she turned and left with her head hung low.

"What do you have against her, Eruptor? Seriously. She just wants to be your friend," Stealth Elf quietly pointed out while scowling at her 'best friend', and she teleported away before letting him say anything.

"Ugh, that she-dragon always causes trouble," Eruptor snarled to himself, and stomped all the way back to his house.

Unfortunately, by the time Eruptor got back to his house, in which he shared with his roommates Stealth Elf, Spyro and(unluckily in his opinion)Black Ice, it was not only night time, but there was loud music and bright lights coming from the house.

But Eruptor wasn't the only one to arrived shocked to see their house having a raging party thrown inside; Stealth Elf and Black Ice were standing outside the house with surprised faces too.

"Food Fight!" Stealth Elf called the said Skylander, and she had to teleport in front of him to stop him from running around the yard, "what is going on here?"

"What's going on? Your graduation party's what's goin' on!" Food Fight laughed and ran back into the house.

"Graduation party?" Black Ice repeated in confusion, as she and the others tried to enter the house, but they were suddenly stopped by Ka-Boom.

"No one gets in unless their name is on the list," Ka-Boom growled, a strong Austrian accent rolling off of his tongue.

"What? C'mon, you know who we are, we live here with Spyro!" Eruptor quickly protested while getting a little heated.

"I don't make the rules, I just enforce them. Names?" Ka-Boom demanded.

"Eruptor, Elf, Ice! So glad you guys could make it! Welcome to the party!" Spyro cheered while coming out the front door and happily greeting them.

"Party?" Stealth Elf questioned with a quirked eyebrow.

"You didn't get an e-vite?" Spyro asked.

"You guys need to check your spam filter," Ka-Boom added.

"Hey, it's ok, Ka-Boom. They're with me. They're VIPs," Spyro pointed out while pushing his three friends inside, and Ka-Boom let them pass at Spyro's say-so.

Many of the other cadets training to be Skylanders were throwing a huge party in the living room, with colorful lights, awesome music, shouting, dancing, etc. But Stealth Elf and the others weren't as amused as Spyro was with his party.

"You blew off our last day to practice to throw a party? We have to be rested and ready for the Skylander games BY TOMORROW!" Stealth Elf shouted angrily over the music.

"Oh, please, I was born ready. Now, c'mon! Loosen up and have some fun!" Spyro protested with a smirk, but none of his friends agreed to the party, and they immediately went off to bed.

And luckily, the party wasn't allowed upstairs, and the floors were thick enough to block out the music and shouting…mostly. But as everyone headed to their rooms, Stealth Elf couldn't help but notice Black Ice's quiet behavior, since they shared a room, and she felt concerned for her dragon roommate when she curled up into a pity ball on her bed.

"You ok?" Stealth Elf asked softly, refusing to turn off her lamp.

"W-why…d-does it look lime something's wrong with me?" Black Ice lied while trying to avoid eye contact, but Stealth Elf could still read her pretty clearly.

"Black Ice, you've been pretty quiet today—I mean, more than you usually are—and I'm concerned for you."

"B-But…th-there's nothing wrong with me." As Black Ice once again lied, Stealth Elf suddenly teleported onto her bed and sat next to her, and she placed a reassuring hand on her back, making sure to avoid her broken wing.

"I can tell when you're lying, Ice—and it's not just because you're a horrible liar—but it's also because I'm your friend, and I want to help you if something's wrong."

"No…no, I can't tell you…I-I wish I could, but it would only make it worse," Black Ice protested while quivering.

"What would make it worse?" Stealth Elf inquired.

"I can't tell you that either."

"Black Ice." Black Ice finally looked her friend in the eyes when she stated her name firmly, and Stealth Elf stared sincerely back into her emerald eyes. "Please, let me in. Nothing will get better if you continue to shut people out."

Black Ice's darted between the floor and Stealth Elf's eyes, as she pondered what she said, and it was becoming more and more tempting by the second. Besides, it was growing awkwardly quiet the longer she waited.

"Ok, ok…" Black Ice sighed in defeat, and she closed her eyes tightly to prepare for the worse, "today, w-when I broke my wing…I kinda lied about how I broke it."

"Well, then what happened? You said you fell off a bridge, right?"

"Yes, that part is true…for the most part…see, I-I didn't fall off by accident…I was pushed."

"What? Who pushed you? I swear, I'll straighten them out fore hurting-," Stealth Elf gasped with shock, but she was soon interrupted by Black Ice shushing her and rapidly shaking her head.

"No, no, no! That's just it, you can't!"

"Why not? Who pushed you, Black Ice?"

"If I tell you, you have to swear you'll NEVER breathe a word of it."

"Cross my heart," Stealth Elf confirmed while crossing a finger over her chest where her heart would be, and so Black Ice pulled her ear close to whisper the culprit's name.

"It…it was Eruptor."

"What?!" Stealth Elf accidentally shouted, making Black Ice shove her paws over her mouth.

"Please, you CAN'T tell anyone I told you…especially not Eruptor," Black Ice pleaded with a whisper.

"And just why not?" Stealth Elf hissed while pushing Black Ice's paws away.

"I-if he found out, he'd just hurt me again. Please, Elf, I'm tired of him bullying me."

"What? Eruptor's been bullying you, and you never said anything?"

"No…I couldn't…he threatened to hurt me again if I ratted him out…so no, I never anything."

"Aw, Black Ice, I'm so sorry," Stealth Elf sighed sadly while pulling Black Ice into a hug.

"So, you still promise not to tell anyone, right?" Black Ice asked with worry.

"Of course. I swear, your secret's safe with me."

"Thank you, Elf. You truly are a good friend."

* * *

 **This story will make A LOT more sense if you've started watching the new Skylanders Academy series.**

 **Also, if you're having trouble picturing Black Ice(yes, she's my OC), she basically looks a lot like Cynder from Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon...but with black and white coloration instead of pink and purple. Obviously.**

 **But yeah, I thought this would be an interesting turn on the new series, and I would like to declare that Eruptor has become my favorite character from the show, so that's the main reason why I've started writing this story. But there are more chapters to come, so I hope you all will like this story.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Never

Chapter 2 - Never

The next morning, Eruptor, Stealth Elf and Black Ice woke up bright and early to prepare for the Skylander games, but before they headed out the door, they all looked for Spyro everywhere, but never found him.

"You guys haven't seen Spyro either?" Stealth Elf questioned, and they both shook their heads no in response. But when Elf noticed the way Black Ice was struggling to avoid looking at Eruptor, and that Eruptor acted so innocently after what he did, it was so tempting to Stealth Elf to rat him out for hurting Black Ice…but she also promised that she wouldn't say anything, especially not to Eruptor, so she reluctantly kept her mouth shut.

"I checked his bedroom," Eruptor pointed out.

"I checked the kitchen," Black Ice added.

"What about the bathroom?" Stealth Elf asked.

"We have a bathroom?" Eruptor asked with surprise.

"Whatever. Maybe he's gone ahead of us. Besides, it's not like Spyro would miss the biggest event in his life," Stealth Elf sighed in defeat, and so she and the others made their way to the tournament, hoping that Spyro was indeed already there.

Unfortunately, the three of them didn't think to check the roof…where Spyro somehow passed out after the party last night, and when they got to the tournament, Spyro definitely wasn't already there.

And it wasn't long before Master Eon arrived, but Spyro still hadn't shown up. Stealth Elf, Black Ice and Eruptor all lined up, along with cadets Hex and Bad Breath, in front of their master.

"Welcome to your final test, your opportunity to prove that you are worthy of joining the protectors of our universe! By making it here, you have displayed great dedication to the Skylands, and to each other!" Master Eon happily announced and the crowd cheered, but Eon sighed sadly when he noticed that Spyro was nowhere to be found, "a dedication, clearly, everyone is not capable of."

"Those of you who pass will join one of our teams of Skylanders based at the academy, and with your colleagues, you will maintain the balance and harmony of our world, fighting against the threat of darkness and disorder! Now, without further ado, let the games begin! First up—Eruptor!" Eon went on, and the said walking magma immediately perked up at the sound of his name.

Eruptor immediately got his head in the game, and he was effortlessly able to take out an entire fleet of robot Greebles with his lava attacks and creation of a pool of lava, burning every robot.

"Eruptor, you're on fire!" Stealth Elf called after his defeat.

"I know, right?" Eruptor chuckled with pride, failing to notice the flames on his back.

"No, I mean you're LITERALLY on fire!"

"Oh, yeah, that happens sometimes. No biggie."

"Well, done, Eruptor! On to stage two!" Eon called.

"Stage two?" Eruptor questioned, and then a chamber filled with SuperChargers suddenly opened up.

"Choose a SuperCharger to navigate through an obstacle course of threats!" Eon demanded.

"Oh, this ain't gonna end well. Vehicular assault was my worst class," Eruptor sighed to himself while running up to the chamber, and he soon hopped into the most fire element-based vehicle. But when he pressed a small button at the center of the steering wheel, which was also the only button Eruptor could see, the SuperCharger immediately started and flew out of the chamber, flying aimlessly since Eruptor's driving wasn't the best.

"Focus on the threats!" Stealth Elf shouted.

"My RIDE is a threat!" Eruptor called back.

"Level out a bit, Eruptor! You're too shaky!" Black Ice called in hopes of verbally helping to improve his driving.

"Shut it! I don't want flying advice from a flightless dragon!" Eruptor snapped and focused back on driving. And somehow, his bad driving destroyed the next entire fleet of holographic enemies, and the crowd cheered at his victory and harsh landing.

"Once again, well done, Eruptor! Now, next up is Stealth Elf!" Master Eon shouted.

Like Eruptor, Stealth Elf was able to complete the course rather easily; though, her driving was much better than Eruptor's. Next was Bad Breath, who dad rather well too. Then came Hex…who's fighting could have used a bit more improvement. And finally, Black Ice, who was still fearful to perform with a broken wing.

Though, she was able to do pretty well for stage one, which was driving a SuperCharger to defeat a fleet of enemy obstacles, but it was stage two that she was afraid of: hand to hand combat.

Master Eon, Hugo, the other cadets and the entire crowd all watched her with expectancy and excitement, as the enemy dummies began to surround her.

Without the power of flight, Black Ice couldn't lift herself up to dodge the attacks and giver her enough time to plan out her own attacks. And that's when a state of frozen fear suddenly washed over her, causing her to somehow forget her Undead and Water powers and how to use them.

Black Ice tried to use her ice breath to freeze them, but nothing but a little breeze would come out of her mouth. She had unfortunately let fear take control.

When Eon noticed that Black Ice wasn't fighting back, he called the dummies off before they could hurt her, and she walked back to the line with her head and wings hung low and tail between her legs with shame, as the crowd booed her for putting on a bad show.

"Good try, Black Ice…now, this concludes your test, so I hereby declare these games officially-!" Master Eon began to announce, but he was immediately cut off by Spyro when he FINALLY showed up.

"HERO INCOMING, HOT AND FAST!" Spyro called while swooping in on the knick of time, and he wore a smirk on his face as Eon scowled at him for being late, "hey, what's up, everybody? Looks like I practically made it!"

"…Very well," Master Eon grumbled in reluctance.

"Great! Now, lemme just stretch out the ol' wings, so-," Spyro began while starting to stretch, but it was Eon's turn to interrupt the purple dragon by blowing the starting air horn.

"BEGIN!"

With that, Spyro's test began, but he wasn't prepared for the first wooden spear that was thrown at him, as it knocked him to the ground and made the crowd gasp with fright. But Spyro growled in determination and flew up, making it rain fire balls on the enemy dummies below.

But he let his cockiness get the best of him again when he missed the Kaos hologram, and it struck him with an electric power orb when he turned his back, and Spyro was unfortunately brought back down to the ground at the impact of the lighting ball.

It wasn't long before Spyro finished his test, and the crowd went silent when the purple dragon lined up with the other candidates to listen to Master Eon for their results.

"Candidates, I will now call out all of the names of those who have passed and will join me tomorrow as the newest members of the Skylanders! Eruptor—pass!"

"Yes!" Eruptor cheered.

"Stealth Elf—pass!"

"Yeah, alright!" Stealth Elf laughed while fist-pumping the air.

"Bad Breath—pass!"

"Wow! I'm so happy! Thank you!" Bad Breath chuckled nervously, and even belched by accident, and it was so bad that everyone could smell it.

"Hex—fail!"

"We lost to a guy who's super power is burping. Burping!" the little skull Hex summoned pointed out in a huff.

"Black Ice—fail!"

Black Ice wasn't really surprised. She didn't really expect Eon to pass her with her horrible performance. So, she sat there quietly while only sighing and nodding her head.

"And Spyro—fail!"

"Eon says what now?" Spyro quickly questioned with shock.

"You three barely passed…but it would not be good enough to become a Skylander. I'm sorry, but you will not being sketched in the Book of Skylanders this year. I truly hope you three can earn your place among us someday…I will see the rest of you at graduation tomorrow!" Eon sadly explained, and the crowd sighed sadly at their failure.

Without another word, Master Eon and Hugo all left, as did most of the other cadets and the whole crowd…but Spyro and Black Ice couldn't bring themselves to move. They could only sit there in shame. And Stealth Elf wanted to say something, but she felt that it just wasn't the time…so she left without saying anything too.

And after a while of just sulking in the arena, the universe soon developed a sense of humor by filling the skies with dark clouds and gently showering Black Ice and Spyro with depressing rain.

"Ok, universe! We get the point!" Spyro shouted at the sky.

"The universe had nothing to do with it, Spyro…c'mon, let's just go home," Black Ice pointed out with a sad sigh, and she and Spyro finally left their spot to get out of the rain.

* * *

The next morning, Eruptor was going through some mixed feelings; on one hand, he felt sad for Spyro since he actually DID like him as a friend, while on the other hand, he was actually kind of glad that Black Ice didn't get to graduate with them. He figured maybe now, he could have some more quality time with his best friend, Stealth Elf.

Speaking of which, the said stealthy elf successfully jumpscared Eruptor when he was the kitchen making pancakes for breakfast.

"Elf, are you TRYING to end me?!" Eruptor snapped, but Stealth Elf only ignored him and looked around the room.

"Ice and Spyro still haven't come out of their rooms?" Stealth Elf questioned with surprise.

"I certainly haven't seen 'em since yesterday. But who cares? If they wanna be big babies and cry in their rooms all day, then let 'em. They DID just humiliate themselves in front of everyone," Eruptor pointed out with a shrug.

"Well, _I_ care, and I'm not going to let them spend the rest of their lives sulking alone. I'm going to go talk to them." With that, Elf finally poofed away, leaving Eruptor alone again.

"Eh, whatever. Still couldn't care less about that dragon bitch," Eruptor mumbled to himself when he thought he was alone…but he was wrong. Stealth Elf was out of sight, but she still heard what Eruptor said, so she popped out of nowhere and jumpscared him again. She was going to confront him about his behavior towards Black Ice, no matter what she promised her friend.

"I can't believe you, Eruptor, I just can't! How could you be so hateful towards Black Ice when she tried just as hard to become a Skylander?!" Stealth Elf lashed out on her fiery friend, but he acted as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"What're you talkin' about? It's not MY fault she lost the games," Eruptor protested.

"Yes, it is! I know that YOU her broken wing! It's YOUR fault Black Ice lost, and you know it!"

"W-what? What makes you think that?"

"I…I'm not telling you. But what I AM going to tell you is to apologize to Ice for hurting her and costing her her chances of becoming a Skylander," Stealth Elf replied firmly, but she stopped herself when she remembered that she AT LEAST shouldn't tell how she knew it was his fault.

And with that, Stealth Elf suddenly grabbed a pancake from the stack and poofed out of sight again. But after his little conversation with Stealth Elf, Eruptor growled and nearly burnt the kitchen down. He knew there could only be one reason that Stealth Elf knew Black Ice's wing wasn't broken on accident, and that could be because Black Ice ratted him out.

Eruptor then swore to himself that he was going to get lack Ice back for this…but first, he had to focus on his graduation.

* * *

That afternoon, Eruptor and Stealth Elf left their dragon friends behind at the house, since they still wouldn't leave their rooms, and they headed to the graduation ceremony without them.

And soon, Master Eon and Hugo entered with the Book of Skylanders, as the crowd cheered loudly for them. And for a moment, Eruptor had forgotten his conversation about Black Ice with Stealth Elf earlier that morning.

"We did it, Elfy! We really made it!" Eruptor cheered.

"Don't call me that. And I'm not in the mood to speak to you right now," Stealth Elf hissed while crossing her arms and turning away, making her fiery friend pout a little.

"Citizens of Skylands, it is my distinct pleasure—and contractual obligation—to welcome you! And now, I shall sketch our newest members into the Book of Skylands!" Master Eon happily announced. But everyone gasped in amazement when they looked up in the sky, and they saw a familiar purple dragon writing 'Congrats, Eruptor and Stealth Elf! Your awesome pals, Spyro an Black Ice!'

"We thought if we couldn't graduate with our best friends, we could at least be there for them for their graduation!" Black Ice called as she ran into the arena, and she and Stealth Elf happily waved at each other, making Eruptor growl and roll his eyes.

"Ahem! Yes, well…Hugo, the book, please," Eon cut in while clearing his throat.

"Oh, uh, yes, Sir!" Hugo chuckled while giving Master Eon the Book of Skylanders, but he went right back to staring at the amazing sky writing. And soon, the entire coliseum went silent to let Master Eon concentrate on drawing, and after a while of waiting, he finally drew every new Skylander in the book.

"And with that final stroke, I present to you our newest Skylanders—Eruptor, Stealth Elf and Bad Breath!" Eon happily announced, making the crowd go wild, but then he closed the book and handed it back down to Hugo, "will you please put this back in the vault, Hugo?"

"Yes, sir! Absolutely NOTHING could keep me from completing a mission of such utmost-SHEEP!" Hugo went on while taking the book back, but he was stopped in his tracks by a big-headed sheep…accompanied by a green troll dressed in a pink Little Bo Peep dress. And since the sheep scared him so successfully, he accidentally dropped the book and retreated behind Master Eon.

"Hahaha! Thanks for the book! Now, Glumshanks, it is time! Reveal me!" the sheep laughed manically, in an annoyingly high-pitched voice, while standing on two legs. And the troll in the dress pulled the man in the sheep costume out, revealing that it was actually Kaos…oh, and Glumshanks was disguised and Little Bo Peep.

"Kaos?!" Eon gasped.

"You bet 'cher sweet beard!" Kaos cackled while picking up the Book of Skylanders, "and now, the all-powerful Book of Skylanders is mine! MINE! And now that I have your precious book, I finally have the ultimate control to end every one of you Skyjerks!"

"Skylanders, we MUST get the book back! Our very lives depend on it! ATTACK!" Master Eon demanded.

Unfortunately, before any of the real Skylanders could attack, Black Ice didn't think twice and suddenly tried to attack Kaos herself, but he merely dodged her and grabbed her by the neck in a vice lock.

"Nobody move, or else this Skylander gets it!" Kaos warned.

"She's NOT a Skylander," Eruptor pointed out with a growl.

"Eruptor," Stealth Elf hissed.

"What? You're NOT a Skylander? Wow, you're more pathetic than me!" Kaos mocked the black and white dragon and laughed again.

"You better watch yourself, Kaos! Black Ice may not by a Skylander right now, but she has unique Water AND Undead powers!" Stealth Elf stated firmly to stood up for her friend.

"Oh, really? Well, then, you pathetic dragon wretch, help me to stop these Skylosers before you get EVEN more hurt," Kaos chuckled darkly when he noticed Black Ice's broken left wing, so he threw her to the ground, ripped off her bandaging and stomped on her broken wing.

"Ah! Stop, you're hurting me!" Black Ice pleaded, but the more she struggled, the more intense the pain became, as she could hear her wing cracking more and more under Kaos' foot.

"Tic-toc, Frosty. Freeze the book, or remain a one-winged freak for the rest of your life," Kaos demanded, but Black Ice only whimpered and curled up in fear.

And when she tried Kaos' patience, he finally had enough and suddenly stomped on Black Ice's wing with all the force in his leg, causing her to not only cry out in bloody murder, but to also release a stream of ice from her mouth by accident. And that's exactly what Kaos wanted, as he held the book in her ice stream.

And as soon as the book was completely frozen, so where the rest of the Skylanders drawn in it, as they were left still and defenseless in ice prisons. The crown screamed and ran out in terror, as Kaos began to laugh maniacally again.

"Thank you, Icy, you've been a great big help to the destruction of your Skylander friends and all of Skylands. I mean, just look at what you've done. They're all frozen, defenseless losers now," Kaos mocked while finally stepping off of Black Ice's wing, and she sobbed uncontrollably, the pain too horrible that she couldn't even move or fight back.

"Ya know, it's nice to wield all the power and gain all control for once," Kaos sighed with satisfaction, and then he smirked evilly when he had a naughty idea. He went up to Eon and grabbed his beard.

"Not…my beard," Eon pleaded, but since he was frozen, he could do nothing to stop Kaos from braking his icy beard apart, and he took the biggest frozen clump to Glumshanks.

"Here, I got you a beard-cicle."

"Heh-heh, good one sir," Glumshanks chuckled.

"Seriously, take it," Kaos demanded, and Glumshanks reluctantly took the icy beard clump.

"Yes, that was some first-class wielding, Sir. You should write a how-to manual on the subjects of wielding," Glumshanks pointed out sarcastically, but Kaos took him seriously.

"I already have," Kaos chuckled while pulling out a book written by himself, entitled 'Dangerous Power Wielding for Dummies.'

"Uh, before you start marking your calendar for your inevitable book tour, Sir…shouldn't you get back to destroying the Book of Skylanders and all of them with it?" Glumshanks questioned.

"Don't rush me, Glumshanks! It's been a long time since I've had a good gloat. Gloat with me, Glumshanks!" Kaos demanded as he and his troll crony left, and Glumshanks started to laugh manically…but it was rather poor maniacal laughter, much to Kaos' dismay.

"GLOAT HARDER!"

Meanwhile, the other Skylanders were still trying to escape their ice prisons, and Black Ice was still trying to recover and avoid passing out.

"Eruptor…can't you, like…spew lava to free yourself?" Stealth Elf grunted through the ice.

"I'm…trying!" Eruptor grunted back in anger, and he was soon able to spew lava from him his head and chip some of the ice away in the process…but it still backfired when it landed on his head and hardened into rock from the coolness.

"Hey, hey, guys, I can't see anything. Is it working?" Eruptor asked quickly, as the hardening rock covered his eyes and blinded him.

But that's also when Spyro finally showed up, and he was shocked to see what happened to his friends.

"Guys, it's me, Spyro!" Spyro shouted through the ice.

"Yeah, we know who you are," Stealth Elf hissed.

"Black Ice here got over-powered by Kaos, and let him make her freeze the book, which is why we're trapped in a freeze spell right now. Can't you feel it too?" Eruptor growled.

"Um, no, I actually feel pretty balmy. It's pretty balmy today. In fact, it's a little too hot, which makes it the perfect day for a graduation; though, pollen count's as a little high-WAIT A MINUTE! A freeze spell was cast on the book, and I'm not in it, neither is Black Ice! He has no power over us!" Spyro pointed out with realization.

"Then save yourselves," Stealth Elf demanded.

"No. If there's anything I've learned after failing the games, it's that heroes don't just care about themselves, and that they have to make sacrifices for the team," Spyro pointed out firmly.

"Then…let me come with you, Spyro…they're all frozen…because of me…so I should fight too," Black Ice grunted while trying to pick herself back up, but she was still shaken pretty badly.

"No, Ice, you're injured. I'll handle this on my own and save you all, I promise. Ice, you stay here and see what you can do about getting them free," Spyro instructed, and he soon flew off after Kaos and Glumshanks.

And as soon as the purple dragon was gone, Black Ice focused on the trapped Skylanders, but she merely sat there in fear and panic.

"I-I don't think I CAN do anything about this. As long as the book is frozen, there's nothing anyone can do to free you. I'm sorry," Black Ice pointed out with shame.

"Yeah, you should be! It's YOUR fault we're in this mess! If you had just fought like a true Skylander, or at least stayed home, this wouldn't 've happened!" Eruptor growled.

"For God's sake, Eruptor, lay off her for once!" Stealth Elf snapped.

"No, he's right, Elf. It IS my fault you're all stuck like this. If I was a TRUE Skylander, I would've been able to stop Kaos. And I can't just sit idly by while the fate of the Skylands are at stake," Black Ice cut in firmly.

"What are you saying, Ice?" Stealth Elf questioned with fear.

"I'm saying that I'm going to go help Spyro fight Kaos."

"What're you gonna do, huh? You're not a Skylander," Eruptor protested.

"No, I'm not a Skylander, but that doesn't mean I can't be a hero."

"If you think you can be of any help, then you should go. Kaos will most likely have headed for the vault in the library to search for a way to destroy the book once and for all. Find him, stop him, and save the book," Master Eon explained firmly, and Black Ice nodded before ignoring the pain in her wing to runt towards the library.

But as soon as Black Ice exited the stadium, she was unexpectedly met with the frozen Book of Skylanders to her face, as Kaos suddenly came out of nowhere and used it to bash her.

And even though she wasn't immediately knocked unconscious, Black Ice could feel the world around her growing fainter, and it grew darker as her limbs became weaker.

"You should've stayed in bed today," Kaos growled with an evil grin, and he suddenly used his magic to telepathically pick up the black and white dragon with ease. And before Black Ice knew it, she was being thrown off the floating island, and she was unable to fly herself back up to safety.

As she fell through the clouds, she felt herself grow weaker by the second, as her eyes rolled into the back of her head after all of the pain she recently endured. And Black Ice knew her death was coming soon anyway, so she just took a deep breath in and waited for the pain of impact.

But when it finally came, she found that she hadn't died. Black Ice fell flat on her back on a soft patch of grass, which somehow broke her fall and prevented her from getting anymore injured or worse.

Unfortunately, the impact was still strong enough to finally knock Black Ice unconscious when she hit her head on the ground, and the world around her became darker and darker before she finally sighed and closed her eyes.

She could do nothing to save her friends or her home now.

* * *

Miraculously, Black Ice felt herself come to, as she brought a paw up to her head and grunted in pain. When she blinked her eyes open and looked up, she saw that the sky was now filled with dark blue and black colors and sparkling stars.

"Ugh…w-what happened?" Black Ice asked herself.

"Nothin' much. Spyro just beat Kaos and saved us all on his own—like a REAL Skylander."

Black Ice gasped with fright when the voice nearly made her jump, and she was shocked to find none other than Eruptor leaning against the one tree on the small floating and remote island they were on.

"E-Eruptor? W-wha…h-how…?" Black Ice stammered as she quickly stood up and tried to back away, dragging her even more damaged wing along the ground, but she ignored the pain in the fractured limb when Eruptor continued to walk closer to her, wearing a menacing expression on his face.

"After Spyro beat Kaos, and Eon made him a Skylander and drew him in the book, everyone wondered what happened to you, so they started searchin' for ya. Guess that there'd be no surprise to find that you failed, and abandoned alone out here like this. And I gotta say—it don't look too good for you from here."

"W-what are you saying?"

"You know good and well what I'm saying, bitch! You ratted me out!" Eruptor suddenly snapped, and he wasted no time in trying to punch Black Ice, only for her to dodge his punches and jump over him.

But as soon as she tried to turn around, Eruptor finally landed a hard blow to her head, knocking her back against the tree, and he soon ran up to her and pushed her even harder against the bark.

"Ah! Eruptor, what are you doing?!" Black Ice cried, literally on the verge of tears, as his lava hands burned her paws while she tried to push him away, but to no avail.

"I warned you ta keep yer mouth shut, but you didn't listen—and now you're gonna pay the price," Eruptor growled in reply.

"W-what are you going to do?" Black Ice questioned as tears rolled down her face, fearing the worst was about to come.

"I'm gonna make sure you NEVER disobey me again," Eruptor replied while whispering into Black Ice's(non-existent)ear, making her shudder at his hot breath, as he pressed his body against hers.

And before Black Ice knew it, she felt a burning pain in her lower regions, but it all happened so fast, as she could do nothing to stop Eruptor.

But not a minute later, when Eruptor was finally finished, he grunted loudly before pulling away and letting the she-dragon drop to the ground like a rock. And as Black Ice lay there like a doll, curling up to hide her shame, Eruptor only stared down at her in disappointment.

"You'll NEVER be a Skylander, and I'll NEVER be yer friend," Eruptor stated firmly, making Black Ice sob uncontrollably.

And for some reason, no matter how much he hated himself for it…Eruptor almost felt guilty for making her cry. But he wasn't going to turn back around and apologize, because he believe she deserved it after all that's happened. So, the fire Skylander merely brushed the small amount of guilt off, and he just left her there.

* * *

 **Well, we obviously already knew what Eruptor thought about Black Ice...but now she knows too.**

 **Was this chapter too eventful? Did anyone think it escalated too quickly? I hope not 'cause I just wanna write a tory that we ALL like. But the story does not end here.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Newfound Darkness

**Happy Early Birthday, MYTHICBOY!**

* * *

Chapter 3 - Newfound Darkness

Black Ice stirred with a pounding in her head and a hot gurgle in her stomach, and she blinked her eyes open to the familiar blue paint of the library in the Skylanders Academy, and she realized she was lying on one of the comfort couches.

"How…h-how did I get here?" Black Ice asked meekly.

"Spyro carried you here, but I still can't understand why he found you all alone on a remote island. What happened to you?" the soft voice of Hugo answered, as he brought over two mugs of hot chocolate, and he gave one of them to Black Ice while sitting next to her.

"All I remember…is getting knocked out by Kaos…and then he threw me off the edge," Black Ice replied slowly, reluctantly leaving out the part about Eruptor, as she remembered things would only be worse between the two of them if he found out his secret was spilled again.

"Yeah, that would explain the big bump on your head. How do you feel?" Hugo asked gently.

"Honestly…hurting," Black Ice informed with roll of her eyes, and she finally noticed that her left wing had been bandaged up again, but this time much tighter, so she looked up at Hugo, "You fixed my wing again?"

"'Fix' is a strong word. I merely stopped the pain and eased some of the swelling, but I hear that Pop Fizz was nice enough to start working on a potion to instantly heal it for you."

"Oh, he doesn't need to go to such lengths. Besides, I'd feel safer if the bone healed naturally."

"Fair enough. I should also tell you that Stealth Elf was waiting by your side every day since Spyro brought you here, but Eon sent them both home to get some rest."

"Wait, 'every day'? H-how long have I been out?"

"You've been sound asleep on this couch for about five days."

"Jesus…"

"It's no big deal, Black Ice; though, I would advise that you go home and tell your friends that you're ok. They've been worried sick about you."

"Not _all_ of my friends…" Black Ice muttered angrily.

"What was that?" Hugo questioned.

"N-nothing…thanks, Hugo, for everything," Black Ice thanked with a sincere smile, and she unexpectedly pulled the Mabu into a surprise hug.

"N-no problem," Hugo stammered with embarrassment and a slight blush on his cheeks, as he awkwardly hugged the she-dragon back.

* * *

And so, after Black Ice finished her drink and gave her thanks to Hugo once more, she left the academy. But on her journey back home, she swore she felt curious eyes of other Skylanders and Mabu looking right through her, as if they knew what happened between her and Eruptor, so all she could do was try to avoid making eye contact and keep her head hung low.

And halfway there, Black Ice began to pick up her pace to hide in her house, but when she quickly turned her head around to make sure no one was following her, she bumped into something tall and feathery.

"Whoa, where's the fire, Black Ice?" Jet-Vac asked with concern.

"O-oh, I'm sorry, Jet-Vac, I didn't see you there! Um…are Spyro and Stealth Elf inside?" Black Ice asked awkwardly, "…and what are you doing at our house?"

"Oh, I live here now," Jet-Vac happily replied.

"W-what?"

"Yeah! I'm your new roomy!"

"O-ok…why?"

"Well, long story-short, Jet-Vac taught us an important lesson," Spyro cut in when he suddenly flew out of the house.

"And vice versa," Jet-Vac added.

"So, what happened to ya, Ice? You looked absolutely HORRIBLE when I found you," Spyro pointed out with concern.

"Gee, thanks," Black Ice muttered sarcastically, and she sighed when she walked into the house, "Thanks for rescuing me, Spyro, I really do appreciate it. And don't worry about me, I just fell when Kaos cheated and pushed me off the edge...big-headed bastard."

Black Ice suddenly gasped and stopped in her tracks when she realized what she just said, and she turned to find the boys both looking at her with surprise, considering no one has ever heard her use such foul language.

"Ahem…excuse my language," Black Ice cleared her throat and blushed.

"Are you sure you're ok, Black Ice?" Jet-Vac questioned with worry.

"I-I…I don't know, I've never said anything like that…I've never _wanted_ to say anything like that," Black Ice pointed out with fear.

"BLACK ICE!"

The said she-dragon barely a window of reaction time when she was suddenly grabbed by Stealth Elf in a big hug.

"Oh, thank God you're ok! We had no idea what happened to you, and when Spyro brought you back unconscious…" Stealth Elf went on hysterically.

"I'm ok now, Elf, calm down," Black Ice chuckled and awkwardly removed Stealth Elf's arms from her shoulders., but she frowned when she remembered something else on her mind, "…by the way, where's Eruptor?"

"I'm right here. Well, look who decided ta come home. What happened, Ice?" Eruptor asked grimly when he suddenly cut into the conversation.

"I don't wanna talk about it anymore," Black Ice hissed and glared daggers at the lava monster, and she then turned and retreated into her and Stealth Elf's room without another word.

…

"Something's _definitely_ different about her," Spyro declared quietly, breaking the awkward silence, and everyone else nodded slowly in agreement.

But they all failed to notice the slight shameful and fearful expression on Eruptor's face. HE knew exactly what happened, and what will happen if everyone finds out he's responsible?

* * *

Stealth Elf was certainly confused about Black Ice's behavior earlier, so she couldn't help but debate in her mind whether or not to ask the said dragoness about the reason for her sudden mood swings, as she sat on her bed and watched Black Ice curl up in her bed.

"U-um…Black Ice?" Stealth Elf finally piped up.

"Yeah?" Black Ice muttered without even turning her head, as she faced away from her roommate.

"You…never did tell us what happened to you out on that island…so, _do_ you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know. Can I trust you?"

"W-what?"

"Elf, no offense, but I know you told Eruptor that I told you everything. You're the only one who knew, so it's pretty obvious," Black Ice pointed out firmly, and she glared daggers at Stealth Elf.

"I was only trying to stand up for you, Ice, and I'm going to keep standing up for you," Stealth Elf protested, firmness also obvious in her tone, but her roommate quirked an eyebrow at her, "Black Ice, as a Skylander AND your best friend, I want to protect you—my only question is, will you let me?"

Black Ice was a little surprised by this. After all that's happened, after how she failed to save everyone from Kaos, Stealth Elf didn't seem to be mad at her, not that anyone else seemed to blame her either.

The dragoness thought deeply about Stealth Elf's offer. Maybe this would be a good thing, after all. With someone by her side, maybe not even to protect but just to watch over her, she would be safer…especially from a certain magma monster she USED to care deeply about.

"You'd waste your Skylander duties to protect something as worthless as me?" Black Ice asked sadly, and Stealth Elf suddenly teleported next to her on her bed.

"You're not worthless, Black Ice, you never were—and it's never a waste of time. I'm me. I can be here and at Uncle Merle's Lizard Gizzards in seconds flat," Stealth Elf reassured, but then her tone turned jokey, and both the girls started giggling at the last remark.

"Well, as enticing as a lizard gizzard sounds right now, I think I'm good—but I'll take up the other offer," Black Ice chuckled sheepishly, and it was her turn to surprise Stealth Elf when she suddenly grabbed her said roommate in a big hug.

But Stealth Elf soon smiled and hugged back. Black Ice was her best friend, and she'd always be there for her, no matter what.

* * *

Black Ice had gotten up much earlier than everyone else, even earlier than Jet-Vac, as she needed some serious alone time to think. So, the black and white dragoness headed out to the most serene, contemplated island she could reach without flight.

She found a tree she could lay under in the shade, but it reminded her of the tree Eruptor pinned her against, and when he…yeah, maybe that's not the best spot to forget horrible memories.

She then found a large and smooth boulder, and it had been sitting out in the morning sun for hours, so when she climbed up on it, it was nice and warm, and being a reptile, she found it rather soothing. Black Ice soon found herself carelessly sprawled out on the lovely heated rock, and it wasn't long before her eyes became very droopy, as she slowly drifted off into dreamland.

But she fell asleep much faster than she expected, just a few moments, and faint images in her dream began to fill her head; it started with an image of Eruptor's menacing face…the same one he looked at her with on the night he violated her…but then she saw something very familiar. It looked like an egg, a dragon egg, as it sat alone in a nest, surrounded by a pitch black void.

And just when the egg began to jiggle and crack, the entire nest and egg was suddenly engulfed in raging white fire.

Just the thought of the burning child inside made Black Ice wake up in a screaming, thrashing panic, and she fell of her rock in the process. Breathing rapidly to catch her breath, she lied on her back and placed a paw on her chest. She didn't know what it was, but something about that dream of the burning egg chilled her to the bone.

"That must've been one horrible dream." Black Ice gasped and took a few steps back, only to find it was none other than a very concerned Hugo, sitting upon another rock.

"Hugo? What're you doing here?"

"Master Eon is working with the other Skylanders to help them find their 'missing link', so I thought I'd take the time to be alone and relax a little. But then I found you and decided to let you nap…but I also wish I'd woke you up. You were screaming and crying in your sleep."

"I-I was?"

"Yeah. What was your dream about?"

"Oh, it was no dream, Hugo…it was a nightmare…and if you don't mind, I really don't wanna talk about it." Black Ice recalled her horrible nightmare, and Hugo couldn't help but feel bad when she turned away in fear.

"I understand. But I don't think I should leave you alone again," Hugo admitted with a soft smile.

"Yeah, ok…" Black Ice paused and took a deep breath in, "Think you could walk me home, Hugo?"

"Sure."

* * *

About a week later, Black Ice had struggled a bit to living in the same house as Eruptor, but she ignored it enough for her to start sleeping peacefully at night again.

But Stealth Elf was her roommate, and she couldn't help but notice how much a heavy sleeper Black Ice had recently become since she always used to be such a light sleeper. And even after a discussion/argument with Jet-Vac in her room, Black Ice STILL hadn't woken up, and she was still curled up and snoring in her bed.

"I swear, I just don't get it. First the whole sheep phobia spreading like the common cold, and now my best friend is hibernating like a bear," Stealth Elf whispered hysterically, turning towards her bulletin board consisting of numerous pictures of other Skylanders and sheep.

But just when she turned her attention away from her dragon roommate, Black Ice finally woke with a yawn.

"Stealth Elf? What're you still doing up?" Black Ice asked groggily.

"What the-? _Now_ you're awake?!"

"Well, yeah…you're whispering is annoying."

"Wait, so, you're sleeping through normal conversation and yelling, but the slightest whisper wakes you up?"

"What? Yelling? I didn't hear any yelling."

"My God, I just don't get it!"

"Get what?"

"Well, first, there's your off sleeping habits. And second, everyone in the academy is suddenly terrified of sheep?"

"Scared of sheep? Since when?"

"Just a couple of days ago, after a training session…but it's so random, and I just can't connect it. There's something the other students are doing that you and I aren't."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Spyro's voice came from the other side, "Hey, Elf? I know you're kinda busy, but you missed breakfast and dinner last night, so…"

The purple dragon quickly popped in and dropped a plate of hot pancakes with smiley faces on them on the floor, but he stopped when he saw that Black Ice was awake.

"Oh, hey Ice. You missed dinner too, what's up with that?"

"Really? Sorry…I've just been extremely tired lately, but I really wish I could remember my dreams," Black Ice yawned in reply.

"It's morning already?" Elf pondered aloud as she opened the curtains to finally let the sunlight in, "Wow, guess I forgot to sleep again…wait a minute, that's it! You guys are geniuses!"

"I know, right? My pancakes are pretty amazing. I'll tell you what it is—it's the smiley face. See, the trick is to do it backwards, so the when you flip it-," Spyro rambled on with pride, until Stealth Elf cut him off flatly.

"No. That can't possibly matter. It'd be the same both ways."

"Right…see, that's why you're giving the SED Talk and not me."

"Not really. But I can't explain right now. I gotta go ta sleep." With that, Stealth Elf pushed Spyro out and shut the door, and she immediately teleported to lie flat in her bed.

"What're you planning, Elf?" Black Ice questioned with a quirked brow.

"You remember Dreamcatcher, right? The silly fourteen year old floating head? Well, she's really powerful in the dream realm, and I'm pretty sure she's the one behind everyone's new case of Ovinophobia…something still confuses me."

"What's that?"

"You've been sleeping, but how come you're not afraid of sheep?"

"I don't know. Like I said, I just can't seem to remember my dreams lately."

"Well, try harder this time. We've got a floating head to take down."

Before long, the ninja elf and the dragoness both fell into a deep sleep, and they found themselves somehow sharing the same dream out in a darkened part of the Skylands while out on the training course.

"Huh. Who knew remembering to dream would be that simple?" Black Ice chuckled as she followed Stealth Elf through the course. But then the air was filled with deep and demonic laughter, and the girls soon looked up to find a giant sheep towering over them with an evil smile.

"Hello, Stealth Elf, Black Ice. I want you girls to know how right you are—you're small and insignificant. You have no knowledge to impart. You're nothing, a nobody." As the sheep continued to mock them, his negative words took a toll on them at first, especially Black Ice. She could only tear up as she recalled the night with Eruptor.

"Come out, Dreamcatcher, we know it's you!" Stealth Elf shouted, and the evil sheep before them suddenly burst into smoke when Dreamcatcher finally came flying into view.

"You're the one behind everyone's sheepophobia," Black Ice growled after wiping her tears away.

"Ovinophobia," Stealth Elf quickly corrected.

"Yay for you. You figured it out," Dreamcatcher mocked while summoning a giant pair of hands to clap slowly and sarcastically.

"But why?" Stealth Elf demanded.

"Because being good is _so_ boring. Especially when ya get ta hang out in the dream realm. You can do anything you want." Dreamcatcher then began to spin rapidly, until she suddenly took the form of a giant grub. "The world is full of goody two-shoes, like Eon and my parents. They thought they could reform me by sending me ta this stupid school."

The grub then spun again, and it morphed into a butterfly, but it was still gross, nonetheless.

"But sometimes, ya just gotta do you, and I'm super evil." The butterfly was then engulfed in a cloud of purple dust, and Dreamcatcher turned back into a floating blue head. "Besides, watching all you guys run away from sheep. Hilarious!"

"Well, it stops now," Stealth Elf informed firmly.

"Nah. Since you figured out it was me, I'm just gonna have ta keep you both her forever. I can't have you ruining me fun."

Dreamcatcher then conjured up multiple evil sheep to surround the girls, and they all laughed maniacally before she also made the ground below them disappear, sending them plummeting onto another platform far below.

"But…I-I don't understand," Stealth Elf huffed, as she and Black Ice tried to pick themselves back up from the painful fall.

"Lemme break it down for you," Dreamcatcher scoffed after floating down after them, "This is the dream realm, where I have ultimate power over you because you're asleep for as long as I want you ta be—and I can do stuff like this!"

Dreamcatcher once again turned into a purple cyclone, and she raced past the elf and the dragon, using her powers to dress them in funny clown attire.

"Sorry, it's, like, super hard ta take you seriously with _those_ shoes." Stealth Elf and Black ice both looked down in shame at the giant red shoes they were now wearing, but Stealth Elf had had enough.

She tried to lunge forward at the floating head, but Dreamcatcher summoned a giant brick wall that rose out of the ground in front of her. Luckily Stealth Elf jumped over the wall in time, but when she tried again, she was stopped by another sheep, which sent her flying back onto the brick wall.

"Uh, did you seriously not hear the part about me being the ultimate power in the dream realm?" Dreamcatcher teased.

"Oh, I heard you. But I have friends to save, and a SED talk to give. I'm not giving up," Stealth Elf protested angrily, and she jumped back down from the wall.

"Goody. More fun fer me—incoming pie!"

Before Stealth Elf knew it, pies were suddenly being thrown at her, and she had to use her blades to dodge them all. All Black Ice could do was cower being the brick wall; she had failed horribly to battle a baddie the last time, so why would this time be any different?

"You can't just mess with Skylanders in their dreams because it's fun!"

"What're you talking about? That's _literally_ the perfect reason ta do it!" Dreamcatcher laughed evilly, and she then created more sheep, only they were smaller as they stood around Stealth Elf, and they began to mock her in their tiny voices.

"Your SED Talk was gonna stink anyway."

"You can't save your friends."

"You're nothin'."

Black Ice peeked around the corner of the wall when the tiny sheep were piling onto Stealth Elf and crushing her, and she couldn't stand the sight. Something inside her just snapped. She didn't even realize it, but she opened her wings and took flight, letting loose a raging black fire of shadows that turned all the sheep into ashes but managed to avoid her friend.

When she landed, she was growling like an animal, as she crept closer to Dreamcatcher.

"What?! No! How did you do that?!" Dreamcatcher was beyond shocked, and was finally starting to fear.

"You may be powerful in the dream realm, but you forgot that this is OUR dream!" Black Ice growled deeply, and Stealth Elf gasped with realization when she heard her.

But in the blink of an eye, Black Ice suddenly took flight again lunged at Dreamcatcher with her teeth and claws fully extended. Dreamcatcher literally couldn't move, as she stared directly into the newfound darkness in Black Ice's eyes.

But just before she could land a single blow, a giant bubble suddenly encased Dreamcatcher, trapping her and stopping Black Ice in midair.

"Black Ice?" Stealth Elf piped up, making the said dragoness immediately turn her attention for her. For once, Stealth Elf was afraid of her friend, as her eyes were no longer their normal kind orbs, but now only black slits of evil.

But after realizing it was her friend, Black Ice seemed to snap out of it, as she stopped growling and her slits turned back into round pupils, and she landed softly in fear and confusion.

"What did I do?"

"You figured it out. This is our dream, and we could do whatever we want, including defeating her." Stealth Elf pointed up at Dreamcatcher, and Black Ice followed her gave to find the said floating ramming the sides of the bubble to escape, but to no avail.

Suddenly, the girls found themselves in their room again, and they gasped as they awoke. And floating in the corner was none other than Dreamcatcher.

"Oh, uh…h-hey, girls! Have a good night's sleep? No freaky dreams, I hope," Dreamcatcher chuckled nervously, slowly floating towards the door.

"Y'know, we're glad you're here," Black Ice began with a glare.

"Yeah. Makes it easier to do this!" Stealth Elf shouted before her and Black Ice pounced on the floating head.

* * *

Once they caught the villain, Black Ice and Stealth Elf not only brought Dreamcatcher to the said elf's SED Talk and revealed busted her there, but they also brought her to an air dock to be taken to prison…along with Koas and Glumshanks, who suddenly showed up after the talk. Who knows why?

"How did you do it?!" Dreamcatcher snapped at Black Ice, even though she knew there was no chance of going back when she saw the ship in the sky coming towards them.

"Do what?" Black Ice inquired.

"Don't play dumb with me! I've been trying ta get in your head since day one! How did you keep me out?!"

"Keep you out? What are you talking about? I didn't do anything!"

"Yes, you did! You cheated and used some sort of wall of dark magic, so that I couldn't get into your dreams! But believe me, I will find a way to break down that wall and give you nightmares from hell, if it's the last thing I do, you dragon bitch!"

Dreamcatcher's insult triggered a switch inside Black Ice, just like when Stealth Elf was in danger in the dream realm, and she wasn't going to let it go that easily.

Just before the airship arrived, no one noticed when Black Ice's pupils once again thinned into demonic slits, and she used some sort of force that pulled Dreamcatcher's gaze directly into hers.

 _If you ever hurt me or my friends again, I will hunt you down._

Black Ice's voice echoed in Dreamcatcher's head, and she could only tremble at how demonic it was. She was actually glad to get onto the airship, as long as it meant getting away from that dragoness.

"Does anyone else suddenly crave pie?" Black Ice joked, her pupils once again round before just everyone faced her.

* * *

 **Sorry I had to skip the Missing Links episode. Didn't really know what ta do with it:P**

 **Anyway, I'm really sorry I kept you waiting so long for an update, I've been pretty busy lately. But if you guys still love this story that much, then I will definitely try harder to update much sooner.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Black Magic

Chapter 4 - Black Magic

The Skylanders escorted Kaos, Glumshanks, and Dreamcatcher to Cloudcracker Prison in order to make sure they got there safely and without causing anymore trouble. Stealth Elf had even convinced Eon to let Black Ice tag along, not that it made the said dragoness feel any safer.

"Here you are, jerks! Cloudcracker Prison, your new home!" Spyro announced sarcastically as they entered a yard in the middle of a large stone castle, and there was a large fenced area where the inmates waited outside.

"Word of advice: Don't drop the soap," Eruptor warned grimly.

"Why?" Glumshanks whimpered.

"Because prison soap is expensive," Stealth Elf scoffed.

"That's not what I was told," Black Ice mumbled under her breath.

"This is going to be a nightmare, Sir. Locked away behind bars of steelium and chromium and several other kinds of 'iums'," Glumshanks rambled on with fear, as the other inmates taunted them. Most of the male inmates even cat calling and wolf whistling at Stealth Elf and Black Ice.

"Hey, girl. You ninja may be fast, but I'm faster."

"You got a fine tail, gurl. Why don't you come and be a part of my _dragon hoard_?"

Those were just a couple of some of the lewd calls. But something in Black Ice once again wasn't going to let her just stand down and take their insults, so she glared at every inmate who dared look at her with her demonic eyes, growling at them and making them back off.

"This is magnificent!" Kaos suddenly called out, "Some of the vilest villains in Skylands, AKA my soon-to-be associates, are imprisoned within these walls. And I can't wait ta cause chaos—the C-H kind—with all of them!"

* * *

After leaving the new prisoners with the other inmates, the Skylanders headed to the warden's office, where none other than Snap Shot was giving them the rundown of their new assignment.

"Welcome to Cloudcracker Prison. As you know, all new Skylanders are required to serve a day of guard duty here, at the prison. Master Eon believes it's the best way to expose you to the worst of the worst you will face in our universe."

Black Ice couldn't help but gulp and shrink back in fear. "That, uh, wouldn't include me, would it? 'Cause, um, I, uh…I didn't graduate, so I'm not a real Skylander…so can I go home, please?"

"Aw, c'mon, Ice! It won't be that bad. Besides, we're here too," Spyro reassured while pulling Black Ice close with a comforting arm, "Bring on the bad guys!"

"Soon enough, Spyro. And the best way to keep them all in line? This beauty." Snap Shot then pointed a claw at a shiny golden pin clipped to his chest.

"A shiny, commemorative prison broach?" Eruptor asked in disbelief.

"No, it's a badge! And they're all equipped with a chip that emits a powerful freezing ray. Give it a tap, and an inmate is rendered completely immobile." Snap Shot then began handing out a badge to each of the Skylanders, but by the time he reached Black Ice, she quickly handed it back.

"That's unnecessary. Part ice dragon, ice breath." The blue lizard only grumbled and rolled his eyes, but put the last badge away anyway.

"Ooh, can I try it out, Snap Shot?" Spyro inquired with excitement.

"Be my guest."

But when Spyro pushed the button, he had no idea that he had frozen an inmate on the other side of the prison, who was in the cafeteria eating lunch, and the other inmates stole his food when he could no longer move to eat it.

"Ok, that's enough, Spyro. If you happen to slip and give your badge a double tap, it will administer the toughest punishment we have," Snap Shot cut in to stop Spyro from pushing the badge once more.

"What's that?" the said purple dragon asked out of curiosity.

"If you encounter someone who is really causing trouble, tapping twice will send a prisoner straight to solitary confinement; otherwise, known as—The Hole."

"Whoa! Scary!" Spyro cheered sarcastically.

"It is, isn't it? Especially when I say it in my scary voice. But luckily for you four, the prisoners rarely act out enough to deserve going there. Now, remember! Cloudcracker Prison is a hornet's nest of nefarious villainy! Guard duty is no walk in the park. To do the job right, you must read the prison rules and regulations guides!"

The Skylanders certainly didn't expect the warden of Cloudcracker Prison to pass out some thin brochures.

"These are coupons for Bird Bath and Beyond," Black Ice simply pointed out.

"Yes, and they're twenty percent off. I get, like, nine of these things a week," Snap Shot babbled with a smirk, and then he pointed at a stack of thick old books on the shelf, "Those are the guides."

"Yeah…I'm more of a film adaptation type," Eruptor pointed out with shock, but the others couldn't take their wide eyes off the abnormally large books either.

"Now then, while every prisoner here is dangerous, there are a few here that are the cream of the crud," Snap Shot continued menacingly, "First up, there's Wolfgang; his evil bone harp can turn anyone who hears its rocking tunes into a mindless drone to do his bidding. Next is Pepper Jack. He was once the finest chef in all of Skylands, until he decided to use his culinary powers to try and destroy his enemies from the inside out. Then there's Broccoli Guy; he wields the power of healing and being highly annoying, which is quite lethal in its own right. Then we have Chompy Mage, a deranged wizard who thinks he's, well, a Chompy—best not to get any digits too close to his or his puppet's mouth. And most dangerous of all, the Golden Queen; she can turn anything or anyone into gold. _Never_ let her out of your sight, as she is the shrewd and cunning leader of this motley crew, who call themselves the Doom Raiders. They are always up to no good, believe you me."

* * *

After Snap Shot was finally finished explaining everything to the Skylanders, he let them go so that they could study the rules and regulations. The four of them each headed to the prison guard locker room.

"Alright, guys, let's crush these rules!" Spyro cheered on, "I know we'd rather be out in Skylands taking down evildoers, but I'm sure if we're on top of our game, this will be an easy, uneventful day."

"I hope so. The inmates here sound pretty hardcore," Stealth Elf said with worry.

"Yeah, we should really read all these rules…just to be safe," Black Ice pointed out while sharing a book with Stealth Elf.

But out of the blue, an alarm started blaring along with a red light flashing, all throughout the building.

"What's that?! Fire drill?! Prison riot?! Emergency exit door ajar?!" Eruptor called over the alarms.

"Nope! Page eighty seven, article fourteen, code seven-a, says 'No inmate shall refer to the color orange as the new black without authorized written permission…huh? Oh, whoops! Sorry, wrong alarm page. It's actually page five hundred and sixty eight, article-."

"Get on with it, Elf!" Black Ice snapped.

"It's the siren that alerts the prisoners it's time for yard duty," Stealth Elf finished.

"Ok, team! Let's get out there, and, um…" Spyro began and opened the door for the others, but he couldn't find the right word.

"Guard the inmates," Black Ice flatly finished for him while waiting behind.

"Yeah, that's it."

* * *

By the time the day was over, the others had already gone through with their guard duties, but Black Ice would occasionally leave them to it, as she didn't have a badge and didn't really read much of the rules.

But when she returned to the special set of cells that contained the Doom Raiders, she found the others all in Broccoli Guy's cell, just as they had sent him down a glowing blue hole in the floor.

"What are you guys doing? What happened to Broccoli Guy?"

"We sent him to the Hole. He and the other Doom Raiders were all sent there because of their totally uncalled for misbehavior," Spyro explained.

"The Doom Raiders are all in the Hole? But Snap Shot said they rarely acted out…" Black Ice pondered aloud, as something smelled fishy about this.

"Well, aren't you Skylanders just the smartest?" came a seductive voice, and the others walked up to Golden Queen's cell.

"Yes. And you'd be wise not to get on our bad side," Spyro warned, but then Golden Queen burst out laughing.

"Oh, puh-lease! You're here for _one_ day, and that day is almost over. You four snot-nosed rookies can't intimidate the most dangerous villain in this entire prison," Golden Queen taunted.

"Are you trying to get sent to the Hole?" Stealth Elf asked in annoyance.

"Do you think that worries me in the slightest? I am the Golden Queen, I rule this place. And as soon as my Doom Raiders and I are free again, I'll rule all of you too, turning you into golden trophies forevermore."

The tall golden female started laughing maniacally, which finally pushed the Skylanders' buttons, and they wasted no time in double tapping their badges and sending the Golden Queen down to the Hole.

"Down the hatch," Golden Queen chuckled darkly before she disappeared, and her reaction only frightened Black Ice even more. Something was definitely wrong.

But then there was another alarm ringing throughout the prison, and a second set of heavy stone doors came crashing down in front of the cells.

"That's the prisoner alarm!" Stealth Elf shouted.

She and the others quickly ran to find the source of the trouble, and they soon found out it was Kaos, who was holding a guard hostage in the cafeteria, and he threatened him with a badge.

"Stay back, or the prisoner gets it!" Kaos warned with an evil smile.

"Whoa, calm down, Kaos," Spyro demanded softly while creeping forward.

"No dice, dragon! I'm in on the Golden Queen's plan, so I'm helping out my new Doom Raider buddies, no matter what it takes!" Kaos protested angrily.

"Good luck. They're all down in the Hole, thinking about their poor life decisions."

"W-what? But…but…but they were supposed to meet me here when I took this guard hostage!" Kaos' words of surprise finally helped Black Ice realize that the situation was far worse.

"Change of plans, fat head!" Stealth Elf mocked while teleporting behind Kaos and snatching the badge away.

"Can you send me there too?" Kaos begged with puppy eyes.

"You got it!"

"NO, DON'T!" Before they could react, Spyro had already double tapped his badge, sending Kaos down but Black Ice suddenly jumped in after him.

"Black Ice! Oh, no!" Stealth Elf exclaimed with fear, leaning down to find the hole, but it was already gone.

"W-wait a minute…did you say you sent _all_ the Doom Raiders to the Hole?" the prison guard asked meekly once he regained his strength.

"Yeah! That a problem, other than the fact that our friend's trapped down there with them?!" Spyro questioned hysterically, but the guard was too scared to answer.

* * *

When Kaos and Black Ice woke up from the fall, they found themselves in a large underground chamber, and it was dimly lit by a few torches. They also soon realized that they weren't alone in the chamber, as the Doom Raiders(and their new recruit Dreamcatcher), were all down there too.

"Kaos? What are _you_ doing here?" Golden Queen sneered.

"Well, I was doing just what you asked of me, Your Queen-ness, by taking that guard hostage in the cafeteria. But then the Skylanders showed up, and they were able to somehow foil my plan. Oh well, better luck next time, am I right?"

"No, Kaos! They tricked you!" Black Ice snapped.

"You stay out of this, little dragon! You're in the presence of royalty, so watch your tongue," Golden Queen hissed at Black Ice, towering over her and backing her against the wall, "You're both fools! And _you_ were supposed to stay up there to distract the Skylanders while we enacted our escape plan!"

Kaos was truly taken aback by the Golden Queen's harsh words. "But I thought _I_ was going to be part of that plan!"

"Oh, you were, as the decoy who keeps the guards busy while we get away," Pepper Jack taunted.

"The queen's idea was ta get those new guards ta send us all ta the Hole," Dreamcatcher added with an evil grin, "This is the only place where no one can see or stop us."

"That's not true!" Black Ice protested and stood her ground, "I'm not letting any of you go without a fight!"

The baddies all responded with laughter, laughing at her pitiful attempt to stop them.

"You and what army, little dragon? You're all alone down here, and if you think you're going to stop us—think again." Before Black Ice knew it, the Golden Queen brought back her golden claws, striking her so hard that it sent her flying across the room and crashing into a wall.

The others all laughed at her again, as she shook while trying to pick herself up and failing many times. Blood poured from the four deep gashes across her chest, and she continued to lie there, breathing heavily and her eyes were about to role back into her head.

But when she touched her chest and then raised her paw to see the blood on it, something was triggered again. Something dark and evil.

The Doom Raiders' laughter was brought to a halt when Black Ice herself began to laugh maniacally, and they watched as she sat up on her haunches.

" _I_ am not the fool here— _you_ all are. You think you've found another foe, when you have really found a force to be reckoned with. For you see, you were all merely _gifted_ with dark power—the same dark power I was _born_ into." The black and white dragoness finally turned to face them, and they were all surprised when they found that her round pupils had turned into slits again, and they remained thin with evil.

She then stood up and slowly began approaching them. "You have no idea what I've been through! I've been broken, raped, and left alone! NONE OF YOU will ever know fear and anger better than me!"

As she came closer, her once flawless white scales quickly turned into a shimmering black; and her black horns, back spines, wings and underbelly turned silver. Even her bandages came loose, and her once broken left wing was now fully healed and usable.

"Because there is not a single person who is more misplaced, more forgotten—or more unloved than me. So, you want to fight me? I _dare_ you to try."

The black and silver dragoness stood amongst the bad guys, and she let out a deep growl while glaring at them all with her bright green demonic eyes. And when she got no answer, she took slight and hovered in front of Golden Queen's face.

"I can either kill you all right now, or you can let me be a part of this. What do you say, _Your_ _Highness_?"

The Golden Queen only stood there in silence, and the other Doom Raiders all stared at her, fearing what she might do or say next. But she soon hummed and smiled at the dragoness.

"What do you call yourself?"

"Black Magic."

"Well, Black Magic—you're now an official member of the Doom Raiders. Care to help us escape?"

"I'm not helping you, you're helping me," Black Magic growled threateningly.

"I like your moxie," the Golden Queen chuckled, "We're going to combine our dark powers to create a hole in space and time, which will allow us to teleport out of this hellhole—and I imagine with your help, this just got a whole lot easier."

"It better be, and it better work."

"Believe me, it will. Doom Raiders, combine your magic!"

The Doom Raiders wasted no time in following Golden Queen's orders, as they started focusing all of their magic into the middle of the chamber. Even Black Magic was doing her best to combine her dark magic, opening her mouth wide to let loose a cloud of shadowy fire more powerful than ever before.

"It's happening! Space and time are being torn asunder, and our gateway to freedom is upon us!" Golden Queen cheered as a large org of dark energy was forming and growing before them, and she was really surprised at how much faster it was growing than he had expected. Black Magic really must be making a huge difference.

"How are _you_ helping?" Kaos asked Broccoli Guy with a sneer, as he and the said vegetable villain waited on the sidelines.

"Well, my true super power is the ability to heal. But in a situation like this, my role is served best as the gang's support system. Go, team, go! Doom Raiders rule!" Broccoli Guy cheered on.

"Please, Queen, take me with you! I can't stay here amongst common thugs and riffraff! Besides, I…I thought we had something," Kaos begged, but the last part was too faint for the Golden Queen to hear.

"What was that?! I can't hear you over all my not wanting to listen to anything you have to say!"

"W-well, I-I guess you don't want to know where the map to the Core of Light is then, eh? Because that is something I totally know." Something Kaos said had finally gotten Golden Queen's attention, even if it was still very little. "You see, I thought we could get the map and destroy the Core together, along with the rest of the Skylands. Ya know, a very casual first date?"

"The Core of Light, you say?" Golden Queen cooed with a smirk, and then she chuckled, "Oh, Kaos, I was just teasing you before. You know, playing hard to get, as it were. You know what I mean."

"I truly have no clue," Kaos simply admitted.

"So…that, uh…map? Uh, where did you say it was?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! I'm not just going ta _give_ that information away—not unless you take me with you!"

"Of course. Nothing would please me more."

"May I?" Kaos chuckled darkly, and Golden Queen nodded and referred to the black hole the other Doom Raiders were building, so he quickly combined his magic with theirs, slightly increasing the growth as well.

But just when Golden Queen joined in on combining magic again, Spyro, Stealth Elf and Eruptor suddenly appeared in the Hole with them.

"Skylanders? Get them!" Golden Queen ordered.

Black Magic was the first to focus her attention on the Skylanders, and her glare grew even more intense as soon as she saw Eruptor. Each of the Skylanders gasped when they saw how their friend had changed and what she was doing.

"Black Ice?" all three of them asked in unison, but then she suddenly pounced on Eruptor, which sent them both into a tumble, but he somehow landed on top of her and held her down when they finally stopped.

"Ice, what the hell are you doing?!" Eruptor scolded the dragoness, but she snarled and suddenly flipped them over.

"Black Ice is gone now, and it's all because of you, Eruptor. Think about that when we rule the Skylands," Black Magic hissed, sending chills down the lava monster's spine when she slowly licked the side of his face. But then she suddenly jumped off of him, and took flight once more.

"I lost hope in becoming a Skylander _long ago_ , so now you can all forget about saving your precious Skylands from us!" she roared at the top of her lungs before turning back to the black hole once more, and she sent another huge blast of shadows at it, finally opening it enough for the Doom Raiders to escape.

"Well done, Black Magic! Let's go, Doom Raiders!" Golden Queen ordered and the Doom Raiders quickly jumped through the dark portal, but the three Skylanders tried once more to stop them.

"Don't even think about following us!" Black Magic grunted before breathing a stream of dark ice, freezing the Skylanders and stopping them in their tracks.

But after Black Magic had jumped through the portal, Kaos was unfortunately the last one through when it started to shrink, and it caused his big head to get stuck when the portal got too small.

"No! Help me, fellow Doom Raiders, please!" Kaos pleaded while trying to pull himself free, but to no avail.

"Hmm…think of this as payback for throwing me off the island, you big-headed bastard," Black Magic growled before following the Doom Raiders to freedom.

* * *

By the time Snap Shot and most of the other prison guards had shown up in the Hole to help, the Doom Raiders were already gone, and Snot Shot was devastated.

"It's been years since a prisoner has escaped. But with all the recent unrest in the prison, I should've known someone would try something like this one day," Snap Shot sighed sadly.

"Those damn Doom raiders! They took advantage of us and played us for the fools we are…and they took Black Ice too!" Eruptor grunted as he punched the wall angrily many times, but he was still very steamed.

"No, this is my fault, Skylanders…and I'm very sorry about what happened to your friend," Snap Shot admitted in defeat.

"Should we go after them, Snap Shot?" Spyro asked.

"They could be anywhere by now, Spyro. All you can do now is be ready when you return to the Skylander Academy. Because, if you thought the Doom Raiders were a handful today, you haven't seen _anything_ yet."

"They've preyed on our inexperience today…especially mine...I couldn't save Black Ice," Stealth Elf sighed when she couldn't hold back her tears anymore, blaming herself for what happened with Black Ice.

"Aw, c'mon, Elfy. It's not your fault," Eruptor tried to reassure.

"You're right…" Stealth Elf sniffled, but then she snapped, "This is all _your_ fault, Eruptor!"

"What?! Mine?!"

"It's because of you that Black Ice left us and joined the Doom Raiders! What you did to her is unforgivable, and now she's let her anger take over!"

"It wasn't _my_ fault she couldn't control herself!"

"BUT IT WAS YOU WHO BROKE HER WING, AND YOU WHO RAPED HER!"

The room fell silent, as Stealth Elf glared daggers at Eruptor, who could only stare back in complete shock.

"How…how did you know that?" was all he could say.

"I didn't," Stealth Elf replied grimly and crossed her arms, and Eruptor realized he had just been tricked, "But I also didn't fail to notice her weird behavior. The Doom Raiders may have gotten away, but I still see one more villain."

It didn't take lone for Eruptor for figure out who Stealth Elf was referring too, and he felt truly heart broken by what his best friend had just said to him…or at least, who he _thought_ was his best friend.

"And whether or not you even care about Black Ice, _I'm_ going to save her, no matter what it takes," Stealth Elf added before teleporting out of sight.

* * *

 **Wow...that was...intense0.0**

 **Sometimes, I scare even myself.**

 **Also, I just noticed that all the chapter titles before this one began with the letter n. Weird, huh?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	5. Chapter 5 - There's Still a Chance

Chapter 5 - There's Still a Chance

The Doom Raiders were more than surprised when Kaos still managed to escape the Skylanders after failing to follow them through their portal. But even though they expected him to hold a grudge for leaving him behind, he once again surprised them when he offered to let them stay with him until further notice.

"Sure, it may _look_ like a greasy pit of sorrow, but inside lies the ultimate entertainer's retreat," Kaos explained while leading the Doom Raiders inside his basement of a home, "Behold, Your Excellencies! My evil lair!"

Kaos wasn't expecting to find the other Doom Raiders already lounging about and making a mess of his place, and both Golden Queen and Black Magic remained quiet and too blank to read.

"Glumshanks! What is going on here?!" Kaos demanded his troll servant.

"They're your new roommates, Sir. I tried to stop them, but I got sidetracked by a conversation with the hirsute gentleman holding the bone harp about the origins of stringed instruments and the next thing you know-." The longer Glumshanks went on, the more impatient Kaos grew.

"What are you blathering about?!"

"Is there a problem here, Kaos?" Golden Queen cut in softly, "My Doom Raiders and I need a place to lie low, and since your hovel is hidden by a dark cloak of magic that keeps it from being detected by the Skylanders, it is…adequate."

"It doesn't appear to be so much _his_ hovel, and more or less _yours_ , Goldie. Haven't you noticed the lewd pictures of you all on every wall?" Black Magic interrupted with an evil grin, flying up to the walls to point out the posters as she described. And of course, as soon as he noticed Golden Queen's disgusted reaction, Kaos tried to cover his tracks.

"I-I-I just wanted Your Golden-ness to feel at home! You know, with the walls covered with your own image, as one does."

"Golden Queen, is that you?!" A familiar voice came, and Kaos instantly face-palmed at the sight of his happy mother barging in, smiling to see said golden royal.

"Oh, Kaossandra!" Golden Queen greeted happily, putting emphasis on the 'o'.

"Oh, Goldie, it's just 'Kassandra.' The 'o' is silent," Kaossandra giggled.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! You two know each other?!" Kaos exclaimed out of shock.

"Sure, we used to see each other at Soulless Cycle all the time," Kaossandra explained, "Now, let's catch up, Goldie. How was life in prison?"

"Not bad. Not bad at all, thank you. How's it been going having to admit Kaos is your only offspring?" Golden Queen questioned with a grin, and the two tall woman laughed as they left Kaos' hovel.

"So, _that's_ the broad that birthed you, huh? She's just as annoyingly egotistical as Golden Queen," Black Magic scoffed while sitting on her haunches and crossing her arms.

"I know…but that's not the worst part…my true love…is friends with my mother!" Kaos cried out and collapsed onto his hands and knees.

"Ah, yes, you're in that idyllic grace period before she gets her restraining order," Glumshanks muttered under his breath.

* * *

The horrible news of what Eruptor did to Black Ice that turned her into Black Magic stayed at Cloudcracker Prison, as Stealth Elf was still furious with him, but she and Spyro refused to put anymore weight on his shoulders by telling Eon.

And speaking of which, the said old portal master had lead the Skylanders out into the middle of a forest at the late and peaceful hour of night.

"Skylanders, I have summoned you here out in the middle of nature for a mission of utmost importance: A team building retreat," Eon explained firmly.

"Ooh, do we all get ta sit around the campfire, and _confess our deepest secrets_?" Stealth Elf began with sarcastic enthusiasm, and then she finished her sentence through gritted teeth and sending Eruptor quite the side glare.

"Well, if we are to have a fire, than we need snacks!" Jet-Vac announced and pulled out a giant bag of marshmallows, "Care to give us a crackling fire, Spyro?"

"Crackling is my middle name," Spyro boasted.

"I though you said it was Agnew," Eruptor pointed out, trying to avoid eye contact with a certain angry ninja. But Spyro luckily came to the rescue and used a small fire blast to light up a metal fire bin with ease.

"And I'll concoct the perfect artisanal flavor coating, guaranteed ta leave us wanting s'more!" Pop Fizz cheered, and then laughed at his own joke, "S'more! Get it? Man, I'm punny!"

"Yeah, this is definitely _not_ the kind of team building Master Eon had in mind—especially when some of us were responsible for the loss of a team member in the fist place," Stealth Elf argued, mumbling the last part so low that no one heard her.

"Alas, you are right, Elf—but let's how this artisanal flavoring turns out," Eon admitted in excitement, leaving down-to-earth Stealth Elf to sigh and role her eyes in disappointment.

At this rate, they'll never rescue their friend.

* * *

"Sir, I know it feels that your personal space has been violated, but maybe you should try to get to know the Doom Raiders," Glumshanks explained to his master, as poor Kaos was only getting angrier as the Doom Raiders took his place for granted and trashed it, "After all, they are Golden Queen's trusted foot soldiers. Maybe they could put in a few good words for you with her?"

"Glummy, that's it! That is the best idea I will ever take credit for!" Kaos cheered.

"I'm a giver, Sir," Glumshanks sighed.

"Whoa! Ok, hold it!" Black Magic shouted and flew in front of Kaos to stop him in his tracks, "One, she's _way_ outta your league. And two, these guys are all _mine_ , alright? The Golden Queen still thinks she's number one, but darkness beats petty gold-hardening powers any day. And besides, we will _never_ like you."

"You only doubt me because you really wanna see it happen," Kaos scoffed and went around her.

"Fine. Go ahead and provoke them even more to maul you," Black Magic growled in defeat while landing.

"Yo, Wolfgang! What up, dawg?" Kaos greeted the said canine member of the Doom Raiders.

"Dawg?" Wolfgang repeated with a deep growl, "I'm a werewolf. Don't you ever get the two confused!"

"S-sorry! You know, I-I just thought, ya know, now that we're, uh, we're gonna be roommates, that, uh, we were, ya know, homies, too!" Kaos stuttered pitifully, and then tried to extend a hand of friendship out to the werewolf, but he only barked at him again.

"We ain't homies—and we definitely ain't roommates! This is OUR place, now!" Wolfgang threatened, howling and laughing before running off to trash the place some more.

"If we're gonna live here, we totally need ta redecorate," Dreamcatcher scoffed while sneering at everything in the messy room, "There is so much gross stuff everywhere!"

"Like what?" Kaos questioned in disbelief.

"That particular cluster of white splats in the corner next to your Golden Queen magazines. Seriously, do you ever mop the floors in this place? My claws keep sticking to the floor," Black Magic began while grimacing at the audible stickiness every time she lifted her claws.

"And what's up with that body pillow with the Golden Queen's face on it, too?" Dreamcatcher added while referring to the body pillow in the corner, and it had a poorly drawn picture of the Golden Queen's face.

"Th-that's not mine! It came with the guest castle!" Kaos tried to deny, blushing deep red.

"Hey, bald boy! This bathtub's gonna be my cookin' pot. Hope ya don't mind," Pepper Jack taunted, brewing some hot soup in Kaos' bathtub, much to his dismay.

"We sure don't!" Chompy Mage's puppet replied happily, using a higher-pitched voice for his puppet as he popped up out of Pepper Jack's soup.

"That's it! I'm out of here!" Kaos snapped and retreated to the quietest corner of the room, which aslso hadn't been ruined by the others yet, and he sat cross legged and hummed before his magic allowed him to spiritually leave his body, leaving him only a ghostly and invisible being of his head.

"Peace out, Dumb Raiders," Kaos' ghost mocked before floating out of the castle.

* * *

By now, the Skylanders had finished roasting marshmallows, and Eon was preparing them for the next state of their team building retreat.

"This next exercise involves putting complete trust in one's fellow Skylander—by letting go."

"Timber!" Jet-Vac called and Spyro quickly grabbed a sheep to cushion his fall, "Wow, Spyro, what a soft and wooly touch you have."

"Now me!" Eruptor exclaimed with excitement, but he fell to quickly for Pop Fizz and crushed the little blue potion maker underneath him.

"Now, it's my turn. I'm just going to assume I'll be inevitably caught without incident because I trust my teammates, who all have a clean conscience," Stealth Elf rambled sarcastically, but she wasn't expecting to literally be let down and fall hard onto the ground.

"What the-? Eon?" Stealth Elf looked everywhere for the old man, but he was nowhere in sight; she could only see Spyro and Jet-Vac trying to lift an unconscious Eruptor off of poor Pop Fizz.

"I better go find him to get you idiots back on track," Stealth Elf sighed before teleporting to a random location in the forest to begin her search for Eon.

* * *

Once the Doom Raiders realized that Kaos was completely in his own thoughts, they used his vulnerability to take turns shooting suction darts at his large head.

But Black Magic was never a part of it, as she believed it was just stupid despite how much she still despised Kaos. And by the time she had returned to their little party, she came across the unexpected sight of Kaos actually beating up Wolfgang, instead of the other way around.

"Bad dog! Go lay down!" Kaos scolded the werewolf, who immediately did as he was told and retreated in a corner.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Black Magic snapped and got up in Kaos' face, finally having enough of his odd behavior.

"Oh, my God! Black Ice, you're ok!" Kaos cheered and pulled the black and silver dragoness into a hug. But she only roared and pulled herself out of his grasp.

"Don't touch me!"

"No, Ice, you don't understand! It's me! Stealth Elf!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"No, and I can prove it!"

"I doubt it. I hate you and anything you have to say." Black Magic glared at Kaos and crossed her arms in disbelief.

"Ok, ok…I…I know that Eruptor hurt you," Kaos whispered with shame.

"Everybody knows that."

"He violated you."

"Kaos knew that too."

"No, he didn't! Stop lying and just believe me!"

"Why should I?! Even if you _are_ Stealth Elf, I'd want nothing to do with her either—she was never there for me, and she isn't here now." Kaos was truly taken aback by what Black Magic said, and Stealth Elf inside couldn't feel more guilty. The large-headed idiot then sulked his head and sighed.

"You're right, Ice. I never was there for you…especially when I blabbed your secret, that was all my fault. And it's all my fault that you're like this now." She still didn't believe him, but the little ounces of Black Ice still left in Black Magic made her start to listen to Kaos.

"Black Ice…I don't expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry." Eventually, it all started to make sense to Black Magic; Kaos really wouldn't have known any of that stuff while Stealth Elf would, but she only denied it to avoid looking weak and actually trust Kaos. But now she realizes this isn't Kaos, but her friend.

"Elf?" Black Magic finally asked, gazing deeply into Kaos' eyes.

"You believe me?" Kaos asked with a smile.

"Well…alright, yes, I do. But how did you get in there?"

"I'm not really sure. The last thing I remember is going out on a team building retreat with the others, and then I got caught in Kaos' line of fire when he suddenly attacked. He must've zapped me into his mind."

"Well, you need to get zapped back out. C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"I can't help you, not here—but there's help at the academy."

* * *

It didn't take long for Black Magic to fly Kaos all to way to Syklander Academy, and there was luckily no one else there to see them. But there was still one problem.

"Wait a minute, I can't just waltz in there looking like Kaos," Kaos pointed out, "And I don't think the others would recognize you either, not to mention that you attacked us."

"What else can we do, Elf? Either you remain trapped in there with Kaos' memories and fantasies forever, or you pull through and just be honest with them."

"But how can I prove it to them that I'm me?"

"Tell or show them something only Stealth Elf could."

"But what happens to you after this? You're not going to leave again, are you?"

"I have to, Elf. You saw what happened the last, I'm too dangerous—and I don't wanna see you get hurt."

"Hey, you!"

Kaos and Black Magic both flinched when they heard Spyro call their name as soon as they walked into the academy, and they were both greeted with angry glares, but they were mostly towards Kaos.

"You got a lot of nerve showing your face again, especially after what you did to Stealth Elf!" Spyro snapped and threateningly flew around Kaos, but his attack was countered with Black Magic took flight and took him down, pinning him down underneath her.

"Black Ice! You're back!" Spyro cheered, ignoring the memory of when she attacked the first time.

"Don't call me that," Black Magic threatened, but eventually stepped off of the purple dragon to guard Kaos, "Any of you lay _one_ finger on her, I'm rippin' that finger off."

"Who are you?! And what are you doing trespassing here with Kaos?!" Jet-Vac demanded while pulling out his air vacuum.

"Who I am is not important, but you have to believe us. This isn't Kaos, it's Stealth Elf trapped inside his head."

"Likely story, stranger!" Pop Fizz snapped.

"Show 'em, Elf." Kaos nodded and did as Black Magic said, gracefully jumping and leaping all over the academy until she found her blades mounted on a wall, and she then began performing agility and attack moves. But the Skylanders were only more confused when he never actually attacked them.

"What is he doing? Why isn't he attacking?" Jet-Vac pondered aloud.

"Wait, Kaos isn't athletic—or coordinated," Spyro pointed out upon further inspection of Kaos, "Besides, I've only seen Stealth Elf with moves like those! I think they're telling the truth!"

"Finally! Jesus Christ, you guys are even thicker in the head than the Doom Raiders!" Black Magic exclaimed out of annoyance, "But now that you've figured it out, we gotta get her out of there!"

"But how?" Jet-Vac questioned.

"We hit Kaos with everything we've got until Elf pops right out!" The others never expected Eruptor to become desperate enough to inflict pain in order to free Stealth Elf, but Black Magic was fast enough to stop him and once again save Kaos.

"What is it with you and beating people up?!" Black Magic hissed, making Eruptor stutter when he was at a loss for words.

"What's she talking about, Eruptor?" Spyro asked with suspicion.

"I-It's nothin'! Can we just focus on the more important matters of rescuing Elf?" Eruptor denied.

"In which I already have a good idea as to how we can do that," Black Magic cut in and approached Kaos, "Is controlling him anything like playing a video game, Elf?"

"Yes, actually," Kaos replied with surprise that Black Magic figured it out so easily.

"Perfect. Try using the controls to eject yourself."

Before they knew it, Kaos was jerking and twitching before a bright light emitted from the symbol on his forehead, and a large object was shot out of the light before landing in the arms of the Skylanders.

"Best trust fall ever," Stealth Elf admitted with a grin, finally free of Kaos' head. The said big-headed moron was now passed out on the floor, groaning in pain.

"Oh, it is _so_ good to see you again, Elf…ya know, cause I'm your best friend, and certainly didn't read that anywhere," Spyro whispered to Stealth Elf with excitement.

"It's really good to see you all again, too," Stealth Elf chuckled.

"Stealth Elf?! Stealth Elf, you're alive!" came the voice of Eon, and he quickly picked up the said ninja in a big hug.

"Master Eon, you'll never believe it! Black Ice joined the Doom Raiders!" Stealth Elf informed the old once he let her go.

"What? How did this happen?" Eon demanded.

"The Golden Queen and her cronies tricked us while we were at Cloudcracker Prison—and they corrupted Black Ice, too. We need to rescue her, Master Eon."

"You're right, Stealth Elf. I cannot imagine what she must be going through, but I promise you that we _will_ get her back."

"Thank you, Master Eon."

It was at that moment that Stealth Elf finally noticed that Black Ice was gone, along with Kaos. The two must've escaped when they weren't looking. Stealth Elf only wished she could've thanked her for saving her.

* * *

Later that night, Stealth Elf was just sitting in her bed, sleepless as she couldn't keep her eyes off of Black Ice's empty bed and wishing she were there with her.

But then a knock at the door pulled Stealth Elf out of her thoughts, and she wasn't expecting to see Eruptor at her door. "What do you want?"

"I don't get it. Why didn't you tell Master Eon about…ya know…?" Eruptor began with shame.

"When Black Ice helped me get back to you guys, I was able to see past Black Magic and see that there was still some good inside her. Black Ice isn't lost to us yet, so there's still a chance that we can actually save her—point is, you didn't _completely_ ruin our friend, Eruptor."

Eruptor was speechless for a moment or two, but then another thought came to mind and Stealth Elf already knew what he was going to say.

"No, this doesn't mean we're friends again. I still don't forgive you, and I highly doubt Ice does, too."

With that, Stealth Elf closed the door in Eruptor's face, leaving him alone with only his thoughts out in the hall. He couldn't believe it, but as time went on, his guilt grew greater. But at least Stealth Elf wasn't _as_ mad at him anymore…at least, he hoped she wasn't.

* * *

 **So, it would seem Eruptor is feeling pretty guilty for what he did to Black Ice after all, but what can he do to redeem himself to his friends? What will happen to Black Ice now that Black Magic has taken over? And will she ever turn back again?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Return

**Warning: Slight NSFW at the end. You have been warned.**

 **Also, Happy Birthday, MYTHICBOY!**

* * *

Chapter 6 - Return

For their next attempt to take out the Skylanders, the Doom Raiders let Pepper Jack take charge; by doing so, he opened a new restaurant to work undercover.

"Ooh-whee! This here chili recipe is my nastiest concoction yet! Once I've perfected it, it's gonna burn a hole through every stomach it meets at the Skylanders' Annual Chili Chomp Competition! …Now, where are my kidney beans?!"

"R-right here, Chef Pepper Jack! Just one question: How do they get the kidneys inside the beans?" Kaos asked as he grabbed out a can of kidney beans.

"Gimme that! Why don't you just leave the deep thoughts ta me, Kaos?" Pepper Jack growled and snatched the can away.

"Wish _I_ could, but I can't. Mostly because your disgusting food is burning my nostrils, and I have to puke EVERY TWENTY MINUTES!" Black Magic snapped after flushing the toilet and exiting the bathroom, "I haven't even eaten today! I don't know what the hell I could possibly be throwing up by now!"

"We've got a big problem!" Glumshanks whispered frantically as he ran into the kitchen, and he was dressed in a fancy black tuxedo, "Table eight doesn't have their amuse-bouche!"

"Here, let me _amuse_ your _bouche_ ," Kaos chuckled darkly and threatened to hit his troll servant in the head with a frying pan.

"Now, you listen here! This troll may be your servant outside this restaurant, but in my kitchen, you're ALL equally worthless! Now, we've got guests, so start platin' the gazpacho, so I can concentrate on my chili!" Kaos and Glumshanks were immediately shaken by Pepper Jack's raised voice, but Black Magic stood her ground.

"You're lucky I'm sick, or else I would've already turned _your_ sorry ass inta chili…ugh, not again…" An unsettling growl from her stomach ruined Black Magic's threat, and she then sprinted back to the bathroom.

"SKYLANDERS!" The voice of Glumshanks called from outside the kitchen not a few minutes later, which immediately alerted the others hiding in the kitchen.

"I ain't loosin' all the progress I made with my chili tonight! Mm-mmm!" Pepper Jack exclaimed and grabbed his still-boiling pot of chili, and it wasn't long before the other few Doom Raiders fled the restaurant with him.

* * *

After yet another failed attempt, Pepper Jack found out about the Skylanders' Annual Chili Chomp Competition, and he made Black Magic and Kaos come with him again.

"So, you actually named us 'We Are Not the Bad Guys'? No one's gonna believe that," Black Magic asked in disbelief, and she was even more annoyed with Pepper Jack's pitiful costumes; Pepper Jack wore a pair of Groucho Glasses, he made Kaos wear makeup and a pile of fruit on his head like Carmen Miranda, and he dressed Black Magic in a baggy white cloak.

"And now, introducing our newest chili cooking team: We Are the Bad Guys!" Eon called from outside their tent, and Pepper Jack quickly ran out to point out the word that he missed. Eon then reread the card, and he realized his mistake, "Oh, my bad! It's We Are _Not_ the Bad Guys—I like the other one better; makes the chili sound evil."

"Oh, you have no idea," Pepper Jack, still disguised in his Groucho Glasses, chuckled darkly with Eon.

As ridiculously disguised Pepper Jack and Kaos handed out bowls of chili to the three competing teams, Black Magic stayed in the tent to hide and avoid getting caught because she just knew something would go wrong again.

"Want some, big boy?" Kaos asked someone sitting with the main Skylanders' team, and he raised his voice to sound more feminine.

"Oh, no. I really shouldn't," Eruptor gently protested, smiling and holding up his bulky lava hands in defense.

"But it's _free_ ," Kaos sang and teased Eruptor by circling the bowl of chili in front of his face.

"Well…I guess I shouldn't let it go ta waste," Eruptor figured with a shrug.

"Are you sure you wanna do that?" Hugo interrupted just before Eruptor could take the bowl, much to Kaos' dismay, "It would be a shame to ruin all your hard work."

"But it looks… _so gooood_!" Eruptor wined while his mouth began to water.

"C'mon, let's get you out of here," Hugo sighed and patted the lava monster on the back, leading him away from all the tempting spicy food.

Black Magic couldn't help but what the scene between Eruptor and Kaos the whole time; she sensed something was different about Eruptor, but she just couldn't put her claw on it…

"And the Annual Chili Chomp shall start…" All teams brought their bowls of chili to their mouths, waiting impatiently for Eon to start them off. "NOW!"

Everyone immediately began wolfing down their chili like there was no tomorrow, all to win and to enjoy the delicious food. But as they ate aggressively, Pepper Jack, Kaos and Black Magic all watched with anticipation, waiting for the chili to just start burning the Skylanders insides.

It certainly didn't long at all…"

Stealth Elf let out a loud belch soon after finishing her chili, and she covered her mouth in shame. "Excuse me! Ugh…does anyone else's tummy feel weird?"

"I feel weird that _you_ used the word 'tummy'," Pop Fizz admitted with a quirked, but then he and Stealth Elf suddenly grabbed their stomachs and fell to the ground in groaning pain.

"What's wrong with th-GAH!" Spyro tried to speak, but then he felt the same burning twinge in his stomach, and he fell out of his seat too.

Soon, everyone, even Master Eon, had already started feeling the painful affects of the chili, as the were now all rolling around on the ground while holding their stomachs in agony.

"What…was that…?" Master Eon growled.

"It was my best weapon yet," Pepper Jack announced, taking off his Groucho Glasses and revealing himself.

"Chef…Pepper Jack?" Eon groaned in surprise. But Kaos then came along and removed his makeup and fruit. "Ka…Kaos?"

But he was even more surprised when a dragon in a white cloak came along, and she reluctantly pulled down her hood. "Black Ice?"

The said black and silver dragoness, that Master Eon once knew as the little black and white dragon he rescued, only glared down at the old man in silence.

"It's funny how dumb you are 'cause we just incapacitated your entire Skylanders Academy," Pepper Jack laughed mockingly.

"Hope you don't mind if we just let ourselves in, plant some bombs and blow you all into oblivion," Kaos informed sarcastically before he and Black Magic followed Pepper Jack inside the academy.

Before long, the three Doom Raiders were nearly done laying Pepper Jack's burrito bombs all throughout the academy.

"You sure did a number on the Skylanders' insides to day, Pepper Jack. Well done!" Kaos complimented the chef.

"Yes, because seeing our enemies writhing in pain before blowing out chunks of their guts from one or both ends is _quite_ motivating," Black Magic added sarcastically.

"Well, unless you both want me ta do a number on your outsides, I suggest we get ready ta make a run for it. My burrito bombs are fixin' ta explode!" Pepper Jack warned, and Kaos and Black Magic instantly dove behind a makeshift barricade with the evil chef.

"Excellent! Just a few more seconds and Skylander Academy will be no more!" Kaos laughed maniacally.

But Kaos' words made realization hit Black Magic pretty hard. She realized she was helping to blow up the only home in which she was welcomed, in which Eon brought her in and took care of her…she didn't know why she didn't see it until now, but she did know that she wouldn't go through with it.

"NO!" Black Magic snatched the lighter and the end of the ignition line from Pepper Jack, taking flight and dousing the lighter's flame. "Destroying our enemies is one thing, but destroying _my_ home is another! You're not threatening this place anymore!"

Just then, something came crashing down through a skylight, and it brought down Black Magic with it, both landing very hard. But with the dust cleared, Kaos and Pepper Jack were shocked to find that it was one of the Skylanders.

"Stop right there," Eruptor growled threateningly, " _I'm_ the only one around here that gets ta blow up."

"Well, then you've already that," Pepper Jack taunted with an evil grin, and he pointed down at the ignition line that was now lit when Eruptor accidentally stepped on it.

"Oh, magma," Eruptor grumbled, and matters became even worse when Pepper Jack and Kaos took the opportunity to jump off the island and bail, figuring their plan was definitely going to work.

But that left Eruptor to deal with the burrito bombs, and he didn't have anything to put out the fire…but he knew someone who did. He frantically looked around and found Black Magic, still unconscious on the floor when he landed on her.

"C'mon, c'mon, wake up!" Eruptor pleaded and grabbed the white cloak-clad dragoness, shaking her intensely but she never moved, "BLACK ICE!"

Hearing Eruptor say her real full name for the first time flipped a switch, and the black and silver dragoness slowly awoke with a groan.

"E-Eruptor?" Black Magic asked meekly.

"It's good to see you too, but this is NO time for a reunion! We're about ta be blown ta bits!" Eruptor explained hysterically and pointed out the burrito bombs.

Black Magic gasped when she saw that the spark of the ignition line was barely a few feet away from the bombs, and she opened her wings to get out of Eruptor's grasp, darting towards the bombs.

She opened her mouth and mustered the coldest energy she had ever felt, letting it all out in a cloud of white ice just as the spark reached the bombs.

Eruptor and Black Magic shielded their eyes to brace an explosion, but it never came. Once they thought it was safe to look, they realized that the ice had completely trapped the bombs in an icy prison, preventing the explosion.

"Oh, Black Ice, you did it!" Eruptor cheered and picked up the said dragoness in a big hug, even twirling her around and the two laughed. But once Eruptor realized how giddily he was acting, he stopped and cleared his throat. But Eruptor never let her go, and Black Magic's demonic eyes slowly started to become round again as their faces inched closer.

But then the sound of the others' groaning could be heard, as they all meekly dragged themselves into the academy, and Eruptor quickly put Black Magic down before they could be seen holding each other.

"Eruptor…Black Ice…you did it…you saved us all," Master Eon groaned and pulled himself up, but he still maintained a true smile of appeasement, "And Black Ice…"

The said black and silver dragoness' smile disappeared when she heard Eon address her firmly. "I know, Master Eon…I shouldn't have left my team, I shouldn't have joined the bad guys, and I shouldn't have let my anger take over."

"On the contraire, it was your anger that did the job right today—both of yours," Master Eon softly protested, now smiling at Black Magic and Eruptor, "But please, Black Ice—come back to us."

"I already have," Black Magic admitted, and she and Eruptor smiled softly at each other. It was then that her black scales started to match her white cloak, and her horns, wings, back spines and underbelly all turned black again; even her eyes no longer consisted of evil. She was Black Ice again.

"Black Ice," Stealth Elf piped up and stepped up to her best friend, "It's good to have you back."

Before Black Ice knew it, Stealth Elf suddenly grabbed her in a tight hug, as if she were afraid to let go. But Black Ice chuckled and smiled, happy to have her best friend back too, as she hugged the ninja back.

* * *

The Skylanders and Master Eon all stayed with Black Ice for the remainder of the day and late into the night, happy to have her back and to reassure her that they don't blame her.

But once their little celebration was over, Black Ice still wanted to get away and be alone, and she found a nice remote little island with a short stone wall to sit on.

"I, uh…" a familiar voice came from behind, and Black Ice turned to find none other than Eruptor, "Hope ya don't mind if join ya."

"No…not at all," Black Ice gently replied, and Eruptor reluctantly took a seat on the stone wall next to her. The two sat there for a few moments, never looking at or speaking to each other. But Eruptor eventually couldn't take the tension anymore.

"Listen, I…I really want you ta know that…" Black Ice looked at the lava monster with curiosity, honestly expecting an apology, "I want you ta know that I'm not mad at you…fer joining the Doom Raiders, ya know?"

"Oh…yeah, thank you," Black Ice sighed in disappointment, and she refocused her attention up at the stars in the clear night sky, "Nice night, huh?"

"Yeah," Eruptor admitted and took in the beautiful sights too, but Black Ice soon looked back down in shame.

"Hey, I am really sorry for attacking you guys…there was just a darkness in me that I couldn't control."

"Well…Eon told me that there's a dark and light in us all, and he was right. I let the darkness in me cloud what was most important for years—being a Skylander doesn't mean being a hero, it means being fair to those who are innocent—and that included you, Ice."

Eruptor's gaze shifted down in shame too, but Black Ice looked back up at him in surprise, wondering where he was going with this.

"Before you came alone, Elf and I did everything together, we were just the best of friends, we were inseparable…but when Master Eon brought you and Spyro to the academy, somethin' in me just snapped…"

"I took away your best friend," Black Ice finished for him, and he then looked up at her.

"Yeah…and I only got more and more mad at you as your friendship grew…I just wanted you out of the picture so bad, and when you failed to graduate, I used that as an excuse to make you more pathetic…but I feel horrible for what I did."

Black Ice was truly surprised. Was he talking about…?

"Elf's right. What I did to you that night…it's truly unforgivable," Eruptor sighed and closed his eyes tightly when he felt rocky tears well up in his eyes, "And even though that's true…I…I want you ta know that I'm sorry, Black Ice."

"You are?" Black Ice asked softly, gently lifting his face with a claw to look into his eyes, and he nodded when he looked deep into her eyes. And the longer Black Ice looked into his eyes, the more she knew that he was telling the truth. He really felt guilty.

"Well…we've all made terrible mistakes that we wish we could take back," Black Ice began softly, gently wiping away his rocky tears with her claws, "But all we can do forget about them, and look to the future."

It was her turn to take Eruptor by great surprise, and she did so by lightly kissing his forehead. But the second she pulled back to look into his eyes again, he suddenly lost control and pulled her into a deep kiss on the lips.

Black Ice didn't know what to do at first, as his lips against hers slightly burned…but she eventually couldn't resist the urge either, and she helplessly found herself melting into the kiss. But when she tried to lean further into the kiss, one of her back legs got caught in her cloak, causing her to lose her footing and push into Eruptor. This resulted in the two falling off of the stone wall, as Eruptor fell onto his back while Black Ice landed on top of him.

The two blushed deeply and remained frozen, staring wide-eyed at each other in embarrassment.

"Heh…this is…" Eruptor chuckled sheepishly.

"Awkward?" Black Ice finished, her blush getting darker.

"Yeah, definitely."

"U-uh, Eruptor…?"

"Y-yeah…?"

"Did you…really mean that?"

"Well…yeah. Did you?"

"I-I…um…" As Black Ice tried to think of the right words, she gasped and blushed even more she felt something hard rubbing against her inner thighs. And when she saw Eruptor's shocked face, she knew it was his erection, and it was throbbing to her touch.

"Eruptor, are you-?"

"N-no…no, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be doing this! Let me up!"

"No, wait!" Eruptor froze when Black Ice raised her voice, and she put more of her weight onto him to keep him down. "If you really feel about me that way, than…I guess we could…"

"Are you serious? After what I did to you the first time?" Eruptor questioned with shock.

"I remember what happened and I still don't like it, but…maybe we could try it again to forget about the…you know…b-but that's only if you want to! I-I won't force you to do something you're not comfortable with…I-I just…wanted to make you feel better after all the pain I've caused you…"

Eruptor stared up Black Ice, not knowing what to say or do at first. But then he saw her blush and the way she bit her claw out of embarrassment…and it honestly drove him wild. But this time, he wasn't going to hurt her; he would only make up for what he did to her.

And Black Ice never expected it, but he shoved himself up into her in one swift movement, making her cry out in pain and shakily collapse into his chest.

"You ok?" Eruptor asked with great concern.

"Y-yeah…I'm ok," Black Ice replied in between grunts, and she shakily sat back up, "Eruptor?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I love you."

* * *

 **Well, that was certainly eventful.**

 **Also, did anyone catch the Bill Cipher quote?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	7. Chapter 7 - No Results Yet

Chapter 7 - No Results Yet

Eruptor was awoken by a rude bright ray of sunshine, as the light was shattered by the tall and soft grass he was lying in. At first, he had no idea where he was or how he got there…but then he recalled last night. And Black Ice. And as the thought of the said dragoness came to mind, Eruptor felt something shift within his hold.

The lava monster couldn't help but smile when he saw Black Ice peacefully sleeping, curled up like a fox in its hidey hole. Her black and white scales shimmered in the light of the rising sun, creating a radiance of beauty and tranquility.

But it was sadly interrupted when Eruptor barely tried to move and get more comfortable, and woke Black Ice with a start. Her eyes snapped open and her head shot up in alert, but she smiled and blushed when she saw Eruptor and remembered what happened between them last night.

"H-hi…" she whispered.

"Hey, Beautiful," Eruptor greeted softly with a smirk, causing Black Ice's blush to grow redder.

"Oh, please, d-don't call me that."

"Why not? You have a natural beauty—and I have no idea why I didn't see it before."

The dragoness couldn't help but giggle. "And I never knew you could be this charming. What changed?"

"It was actually a month's work of much-needed therapy…totally sucked at first, though."

"Why?"

"Ovinaphobic Hugo was my therapist." Black Ice once again chuckled.

"Well, he did a very good job, and I'll have to thank him later." Eruptor blushed a bit when he was gently kissed on the forehead. "And I really like the new you."

"Same here. And you? Jesus, who knew you could be such a badass—especially last night." It was Black Ice's turn to blush again, as the wonderful and pleasurable events from last night came back again.

"Th-thanks…I-I really liked it."

"You weren't the only one. Best night ever." The lava monster sighed and laid all the way back, putting his arms behind his head. "But in all seriousness, it's good ta have ya back, Ice…I-I missed ya."

"That's sweet of you, Eruptor, and I missed you, too." The dragoness then sat up and once again planted a gentle kiss on Eruptor's cheek.

"Alright, alright, stop it. You're makin' me blush," Eruptor warned with a flattered chuckle, but his blush was practically impossible to see with his lava red skin, "Wanna go back home? We could still sleep in until noon."

"I'd like that," Black Ice replied with a nod, and Eruptor then stood up as well and scooped her up, carrying her back home bridal style.

* * *

Once they woke up after sleeping in some more, Black Ice and Eruptor grabbed some breakfast and were surprised when the others told them about the Skylands Music Festival coming up soon. They had completely forgotten all about it.

To celebrate and practice their dancing for the festival, Spyro and Stealth Elf turned the radio in the living room on full volume to listen to some epic rock music, and Eruptor soon joined in their little dance party.

"C'mon, Ice, join us!" Elf called over the music, overdramatically shredding with an invisible guitar.

"No, thanks. I just had a _huge_ breakfast, and it's not really sitting with me correctly," Black Ice nervously informed while holding up her paw in defense.

"No kidding," Spyro interrupted and suddenly turned off the music, "You ate pancakes with a side of fish and hot sauce."

"Alright, Skylanders! We're deep undercover on this one!" Jet-Vac announced proudly, but the others were confused when they saw him wearing a red bandana with a skull and bone cross on his head, "Our intelligence says that Wolfgang could be targeting the festival for an attack, so we'll need to blend into the crowd and keep our eyes peeled for him—which is why I've been practicing my own sweet rock and roll moves!"

With that, the old bird started jumping around the room in a form he called "dancing," but it was so strange and bizarre that it didn't look like dancing at all.

"Uh, what is he doing?" Spyro whispered awkwardly.

"No idea. But I hope he doesn't pull something," Stealth Elf whispered back with a shrug. But as if she jinxed it, Jet-Vac's horrible dancing was suddenly cut off with a bone-crunching snap.

"Ow! Ooh, ooh, I think I just pulled something…" Jet-Vac strained.

The only cure his roommates' had was a home remedy called "Eruptor," so the said lava monster helped lay the old bird down on the couch and placed a steaming hot hand to relieve the pain in his back.

"Ah…oh yeah, that's the stuff…ok!" Jet-Vac sighed with satisfaction, but he was soon back up and spry as a kitten again, "Before we get to the festival, let's make sure we have the essentials. Sunscreen?"

"Check," Stealth Elf replied while holding up a bottle of sunscreen.

"First aid kit?"

"Check," Eruptor informed and held up the first aid kit.

"Ear plugs?"

"Check," Spyro added sarcastically, but he threw his ear plugs away.

"Oh, suit yourself, they're _your_ ears," Jet-Vac sighed in disappointment, "But one day, I'm going to have to tell you 'I TOLD YOU SO!'"

Spyro literally fell out of his seat when Jet-Vac unexpectedly raised his voice, and he quickly realized the importance of the ear plugs and picked them back up, "Point made."

"Hey, Pop! Are you excited about the Skylands Music Festival, too?" Black Ice called to the said little blue goblin when he walked in.

"Absolutely! I'm just perfecting a potion that'll keep the crowd from falling under Wolfgang's hypnotic spell, and then I'll be ready ta go!" Pop Fizz informed with a smile, but then his expression suddenly turned to rage as he threw a glass beaker against the wall, " _Wolfgang_ …man, I hate that guy!"

The fuzzy little goblin growled and stomped out of the room, leaving the young Skylanders completely puzzled.

"Why does Pop hate Wolfgang so much?" Spyro questioned when Pop Fizz was out of ear shot.

"You mean _other_ than the fact that he's a Doom Raider that always smells like wet dog?" Black Ice questioned sarcastically.

"Ah, of course, you have no idea about Pop's history with Wolfgang, do you?" Jet-Vac asked in surprise.

"We wouldn't be asking if we did," Black Ice informed dryly.

The old bird then took a seat on the couch, clearing his throat to tell the tail of Pop Fizz and Wolfgang. "Right then. So, you see, once upon a couple decades ago, Pop Fizz was in a rock duo with Wolfgang. Believe it or not—in which it _is_ pretty hard to believe—he wasn't always a villain. Before he and Pop were cadets at the academy, they had aspirations of fame and fortune, and went by the stage name of Pop and the Gang. Originally, they had an acoustic, folksy vibe, but like most versatile musical acts, they evolved. They were destined for greatness—until Wolfgang decided he wanted to be the star of the show. Well, Pop tried talking sense into Wolfgang, but his ego was out of control. And the darkness within began to take over, leading him to using his instrument to force crowds to adore him, instead of earning it with actual good music. Pop realized Wolfgang had succumbed to the temptation of evil and there was no going back."

When Jet-Vac told the younger Skylanders about the part where Wolfgang let the darkness within him take over and caused him to become a Doom Raider, Black Ice felt a painful twinge in her stomach. She figured it was the burning guilt of when _she_ the let darkness consume her…or maybe it was just breakfast.

"From that day forth, Wolfgang and Pop have been mortal enemies. While Wolfgang continued to spread disorder and anarchy, Pop chose to become a Skylander—and Pop and the Gang were no more," Jet-Vac finally finished the story, leaving the others with awestruck expressions.

"Wow. That is one crazy story," Stealth Elf admitted.

"Indeed. But fortunately, it's a little slice of insanity we can use to our advantage on the mission if Pop's new potion works," Jet-Vac added with a shrug.

"Wow! So, Professor Pop is an old-school rock star! Who knew?" Spyro exclaimed with excitement.

"I did. That's why I just told you," Jet-Vac informed flatly.

"Soooo…" Black Ice interrupted, "When _is_ Pop's potion going to be finished?"

As if on cue, Pop Fizz suddenly jumped into the room with a beaker full of some fizzing blue liquid, "Should be now!"

"Great! …How do we know it'll work?" Jet-Vac questioned with fear.

"I'll use the same test subject I always do: me!" With that, Pop Fizz slurped down the entire beaker of his bubbling potion, and his eyes quickly dilated as he threw the beaker away.

"Ah! Poppy and fizzy! Now, I just gotta create a huge bunch of this stuff, and then we can-GAAAH!" The affects of the potion finally started kicking in, sending Pop Fizz in a bouncing and flying blur of pain until he soon came crashing headfirst back into the floor.

"Pop! Are you ok, mate?!" Jet-Vac exclaimed with great concern.

"Sure. Never better!" Pop Fizz replied with a thumbs up, and then he hopped back up onto his feet and glanced around in confusion, "Who are all of you? Oh, and do you know of any good concerts coming up? I'm a huge music fan."

"Oh, good grief," Jet-Vac sighed and tilted his head back.

"Yup. I'd say his potion worked _just_ fine," Eruptor added sarcastically.

"You really don't know who any of us are, Pop Fizz?" Black Ice asked out of fear.

"Nope. But I love a good meet and greet! I host those all the time after my concerts," Pop Fizz replied with a shrug.

"Wait! Do you think you're a musician right now?" Spyro questioned in awe.

"Um, I'm only one half of the greatest folk duo of all time: Pop and the Gang!"

"It seems as if Pop's potion has not only made him immune to Wolfgang's musical spells," Jet-Vac began quietly while leading the others into a huddle, "But also reverted his memory back to their days as a duet."

" _If_ it made him immune, you mean," Eruptor grumbled.

"Right, well, there's only one way to find-."

"What cha stealthily talkin' about?!" Jet-Vac gasped when he was rudely interrupted by Pop Fizz, who broke up their huddle.

"Oh, not much, Pop. It's just that, uh, we Skylanders are on our mission today of protecting the Skylands Music Festival, and we need your help," the old bird lied to Pop Fizz, "So, what do you say, buddy? Up for the challenge?"

"Wow! I've always wondered what it'd be like ta be a Skylander instead of a rock god!" Pop Fizz cheered.

"Well, then! Consider yourself an honorary member. But you have to keep you secret identity just that. Secret."

Pop Fizz then pretended to zip his mouth shut. "Can do! So, do you guys want an autograph?"

"Probably best to just get to the show and let the Skylanders do their job," Black Ice calmly protested.

* * *

The sun was starting to set by the time the team finally reached the festival, and a huge line was already stretched outside of the celebration.

"Ok, team, we need eyes everywhere, on the lookout for anyone up to no good, but specifically Wolfgang," Jet-Vac instructed.

"My bandmate!" Pop Fizz cheered with excitement.

"Uh, Pop, hate to burst your bubble, but Wolfgang isn't exactly the same anymore," Black Ice tried to warn.

"Yes, he's not who you think he is, and can't be trusted. If he's here, it's because he wants to do harm," Jet-Vac added firmly, and stopped the blue troll in his tracks to emphasize his point, "So, if you see him, you need to give us a shout so that we can take him down. Ok?"

"Uh…if ya say so," Pop reluctantly complied.

"Great! Now, Eruptor, Elf, Ice, and I will go and blend in with the audience while you use your old-school music cred to go back stage and patrol there. Spyro, you will be our eyes in the sky to guard the perimeter."

"What?!" Spyro was definitely not amused with Jet-Vac's commands. "C'mon, JV, I've never been to the Skylands Music Festival! Can't I go in and _you_ take perimeter duty?"

"Fine, fine. I'll do it." Jet-Vac rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Just get your ticket out, and let's do this thing already."

"Ok. Wait, ticket? What ticket?" Spyro quickly asked.

"Dude, you can't get in without a ticket," Eruptor pointed out.

"And they're pretty serious about this," Stealth Elf added.

"Yeah! No ticket, no entry," Ka-Boom informed firmly, as he guarded the entrance to the festival.

"Oh, c'mon Ka-Boom! Can't you make an exception this one time?" Spyro begged while gently clawing at Ka-Boom's legs.

"Yeah…no. No ticket, no entry."

"How could you not get a ticket?! I told you it was imperative to the mission!" Jet-Vac snapped, "I even sent you a calendar reminder for the ticket on sale!"

"I told you I never check those things!" Spyro snapped back, as he was repeatedly pushed back by Ka-Boom whenever he tried to get passed.

Quietly observing the problem from the sidelines, Black Ice carefully laid out a plan; she needed some way to be alone without raising suspicion.

"Ya know…I kinda forgot to get a ticket, too," Black Ice finally spoke up, "Why don't I take perimeter patrol with Spyro, Jet-Vac? Besides, two heads are better than one."

"If you're really up for it, then that's fine by me. I'm sorry you two couldn't get in, and I wish you both good luck." With that, Jet-Vac headed into the festival with the others, leaving a rather disappointed Spyro behind with Black Ice.

"Hey, it'll be ok, Spyro. At least you won't have to be alone on perimeter duty," Black Ice tried to reassure.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Ice," Spyro bashfully thanked, "Now, let's get ta lookin' for bad guys!"

"Lead the way!"

* * *

After twenty minutes or so, Black Ice finally managed to slip away from Spyro after convincing him to go separate ways. But just before she could complete her secret task, she heard the familiar terrorized scream of Kaos himself.

Out of fear, Black Ice kicked some dirt and grass over her spot and stashed the special little box in her cloak pocket, and she sprinted around the building towards the source of Kaos' screams.

She soon came up to a large hole in the wall, and she hopped inside to find none other than a man bun wig on the ground. Black Ice took a whiff of the wig and realized it was covered in Kaos' scent, meaning only one thing: Kaos was here, and she had the sneaking suspicion that Wolfgang was probably here, too.

Not wanting to waste anymore time to waste her friends, Black Ice ran into the festival, thankful that Ka-Boom had mysteriously disappeared, and went in search of either her friends or her foes.

When she reached the crowd, she started to push through to see if she could find the other Skylanders, but the large crowd and numerous indistinct conversations started to blur her concentration; it was getting difficult to even see and differentiate smells.

"Ugh…I'll never find anyone in this health code-violating mess," Black Ice groaned and gripped her now aching stomach, as she meekly made her way out of the large gathering to get some air. Luckily, she safely made it backstage, which was completely empty and much quieter.

Taking a seat on her haunches and deciding it was time to take away the stress of not knowing, Black Ice pulled out the box containing an object of vital information. She opened it and pulled out a long and thin stick, but this was no ordinary stick. It was a pregnancy test.

"Hey, Ice, what're you doing back here? You a roadie or somethin'?" Black Ice gasped and nearly dropped the test, and she quickly hid it behind her back just before she could see her results. It was Pop Fizz, and even in his amnesia-induced state, she couldn't risk letting him find out either.

"Pop Fizz, th-there you are! H-Have you seen the other Skylanders? I need to find them _now_ ," Black Ice frantically explained.

"I'm pretty sure I left them out in the crowd. And what's wrong, anyway?"

"I'll explain later." With that, Black Ice ran passed Pop Fizz and headed around the stage to look from the others; from a frontal view, she would have a much better vantage point of the festival.

And soon, Black Ice luckily found the other Skylanders near the front of the crowd, so she started pushing her way through once more.

"Guys!" she called.

"Ice!" Stealth Elf shouted back. And Eruptor was the first to approach her, and helped support her when she was now breathless.

"It's…Kaos…he's here!"

"Whoa, what's wrong with you?" Eruptor asked with great concern.

"Nevermind that! Look!" Jet-Vac cut in, and pointed to the stage, where none other than Pop Fizz and Wolfgang were standing, with their instruments ready as well.

"Uh, oh," Black Ice whimpered.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Pop's forgotten Wolfgang's the one we're lookin' for _again_!" Eruptor growled matter-of-factly.

"Let's get to the stage, team!" Jet-Vac ordered, and the others quickly followed him through the crowd to get to the front.

But just before they could reach, Black Ice noticed that Wolfgang was about to start playing his Bone Harp. So, just before he could send out his hypnotic notes, she quickly pulled out a pair of ear plugs and pushed them into her ears to protect herself from his spell.

Unfortunately, the others had forgotten to wear earplugs, and had instantly fallen victim to Wolfgang's spell, along with the rest of the crowd.

"What? No! No, no! C'mon, guys, wake up!" Black Ice begged, but her pleading never helped. And when she saw that Eruptor especially wasn't waking up anytime soon, the darkness dormant within her had started to awaken, as she turned and scowled at the stage with her evil slits having returned.

And when she looked up at the stage, she realized that Pop Fizz was now fighting Wolfgang head on with his little brass instrument contraption.

 _He must've finally remembered the rivalry he started with Wolfgang,_ Black Ice thought with realization and then growled, "And now, _I'm_ gonna finish it."

And while Pop Fizz distracted Wolfgang by luring him on top of the speakers, Black Ice slowly ascended to reach him.

"Hey, Dog Breath!" Black Ice hissed, instantly getting Wolfgang's attention, "Shred _this_!"

Without warning, Black Ice struck the airs with her extended claws, sending out a dark magic spell of larger shadowy claws, and they effortlessly tore through Wolfgang's harp, breaking his spell on everyone.

"What?! No!" Wolfgang howled in despair.

"And now, for the grand finale!" Pop Fizz shouted as he picked up a large tuba, and he lunged at Wolfgang and knocked him right in the head with the heavy instrument, even knocking out a few teeth.

Wolfgang once again howled in pain, as he plummeted back down from the stage after Pop Fizz hit him.

"Ugh…what happened?" Stealth Elf groaned while she and the others slowly awoke from the spell.

"Everyone, you're ok! Wolfgang turned you all inta mindless zombies with his awful music, but I somehow ended up here on stage, and Black Ice helped me stop 'm!" Pop Fizz announced as he jumped down, arousing many cheers as he pulled Black Ice in for a hug.

And while Pop Fizz and Black Ice were busy basking in their success, Wolfgang tried to sneak away, only to be caught by the other Skylanders.

"What's wrong, Wolfy? You're not gonna stick around for the encore?" Stealth Elf mocked when she teleported in front him, but he couldn't defend himself with a broken Bone Harp. So, Wolfgang's strikes were all futile, as Stealth Elf easily dodged his attacks by teleporting, as well as hitting him when he least expected it.

And when Stealth Elf was finished with him, she let Jet-Vac have a turn while he sucker punched him in the face with one of his vacuum guns. Wolfgang was then knocked off of the stage, and he lay there in a dizzy heap.

"Oh, I know _you_ don't have a ticket," Ka-Boom stated matter-of-factly when he approached Wolfgang, and everyone cheered as the said villain was dragged out of the festival.

"I literally have _zero_ idea how I got here! But still, whoo-hoo!" Pop Fizz exclaimed in excitement, and continued to admire the cheers of his fans, "Anyone actually know how I ended up here?"

"You were testing a potion that was supposed ta protect everyone from Wolfgang's Bone Harp, but it erased your memory instead," Eruptor explained.

"Yo, guys, that was totally awesome!" Spyro called from above, and landed amongst his friends, "I especially liked the shadow claws, Ice. That was a nice touch."

"You think so?" Black Ice asked with a blush.

"You were totally awesome out there, Babe," Eruptor complimented to pull the dragoness in for a hug as well, only making her blush even redder.

"When did _this_ happen?" Stealth Elf chuckled while pointing a finger at the couple.

"I-It's a long story," Black Ice replied nervously, earning a seductive wink from Eruptor.

"Well, Pop, you've defeated your old nemesis Wolfgang, you're on stage first the first time in years, and you've got your tuba. How about an encore for old time's sake, hm?" Jet-Vac suggested with a smile.

"Well…I've always wondered what would've been if I'd continued my music career instead of becoming a Skylander," Pop Fizz pondered aloud with excitement, "So, let's blow!"

With that, Pop Fizz started playing his tuba with all of his heart; unfortunately, after being rusty for so many years, his now tone deaf music eventually drove everyone except the Skylanders and Eon away.

"Wow. He has no idea how to play that thing, does he?" Stealth Elf mumbled flatly.

"No. But, Pop Fizz being on that stage proved integral to stopping Wolfgang and saving the Skylands from his evil spell—even if he is apparently tone deaf—and that's the important thing," Eon firmly protested.

"I guess you're right, Eon," Eruptor figured with a shrug.

"Earplugs then?" Jet-Vac offered while handing out earplugs to everyone, to which they all hastily took.

And as the others politely pretended to listen to Pop Fizz's music, Black Ice snuggled up against Eruptor…but then she remembered; she still needed to find out her results. But she would have to wait just a little bit longer.

* * *

 **You've waited waaaay too long for this, and I'm sorry. With my new job and school starting again, it hasn't been easy to update much at all. But I'll try to be more persistent now.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	8. Chapter 8 - Spyro's Promise

Chapter 8 - Spyro's Promise

"Aw, c'mon, do you really gotta go?" Eruptor whined while following Black Ice out of the house one morning, as she was planning to leave for a few days.

"Yes, I do. Dragon Rejuvenation is an old tradition that must be honored," Black Ice protested, smirking at her lover's whining.

"But I've never heard of 'Dragon Rejuvenation'," Spyro pointed out in confusion.

"That's because it's a _dragoness_ thing—ya know, that once every month ordeal."

"Oh," the boys responded on unison.

"Well, I for one completely understand, and I hope you have a safe trip, Ice," Stealth Elf cut in with a comforting tone.

"Thanks, Elf," Black Ice thanked and hugged her friend.

"Wait, aren't you going to pack?" Spyro questioned.

"Nope. I'll have my killer instincts while I'm gone—a-another reason why I need to go."

"Just promise you'll be careful out there," Eruptor softly begged.

"I'll only be gone for a few days. What's the worse that could happen?" Black Ice joked.

* * *

Convincing the others into letting her leave was the easy part, but now Black Ice had to face the truly scary part. She retreated to the Falling Forest, to hide and prepare herself.

And ever since yesterday, she kept hold of the pregnancy test, and it was the only thing she brought with her; aside from the cloak on her back, that is. So, with no other choice, and after waiting so long, Black Ice pulled the test out of its box; her paws shook as she closed her eyes to prepare herself.

Taking a few deep breaths in and out, she finally gathered the courage to look: Positive. As clear as day, the test read positive. Black Ice was carrying a child, or maybe even children, and there was only one possible father: Eruptor.

 _If Eruptor finds out I'm pregnant with_ _his_ _child…_ Black Ice thought with dread, and curled up into a shaky ball, _No, he can never find out…but I can't keep it hidden forever. What am I going to do?_

* * *

Days had passed and Black Ice knew she would have to return home soon, or else everyone would get suspicious, or worse come looking for her. Even though it was very unlikely, she felt like she was already starting to show, making her thankful for her baggy cloak.

But while strolling through the forest one sleepless night, Black Ice suddenly felt a burning sensation in her stomach; it wasn't just scary, it was also rather painful, and the dragoness huffed while collapsing as she let the burning pass through.

"Ugh…w-what is that?" Black Ice groaned in agony while clutching her stomach, and that's when she felt it slowly start to distend, "What the…?"

Before Black Ice knew it, the pain had faded away as if nothing happened, but something _did_ happen; for one reason or another, Black Ice belly had slightly inflated. It wasn't by much, but it was certainly noticeable now.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" the dragoness whined while trying to pull her cloak over her torso like a blanket, "Man, I wish I knew more about dragon pregnancies."

"LOOK OUT!"

"Huh?" Black Ice looked up to find a large purple object barreling towards her from the sky, and it suddenly pushed her out of the way before a huge dead tree could crushed her.

The first thing that came to Black Ice's mind was the safety of her child, but she was also quick to turn over and hide her baby bump before her savior could see.

"You ok, Ice?" She recognized that voice.

"Spyro?" She turned and saw that it really was none other than the purple dragon himself, and he skimmed her body with worry. "What're you doing out here?"

"It's Pop's new invention, the Evil-Scope, which allows us to see evil before it happens. I've been watching everything for a few days, and when I saw that that tree was going to crush you, I had to act fast," Spyro explained and then sighed in relief, "And I got here just in time. It's good to see you, Ice."

"I-It's good to see you, too, Spyro…and thanks a lot for saving me," Black Ice admitted sheepishly, and then unexpectedly pulled the purple dragon in for a hug. Spyro was slightly surprised at first, but soon hugged back.

"Think you'll come home now?" Spyro asked after pulled way.

"Of course," Black Ice replied softly.

* * *

The sun had risen by the time Spyro and Black Ice returned to Skylanders Academy, and they were instantly greeted with their friends and Master Eon sitting at a dining table when they walked through the doors.

"Ice, you're back!" Eruptor cheered.

"Feel better?" Stealth Elf questioned with a knowing look.

"Mm…for the most part, yeah," Black Ice lied with a smile, but her eyes widened when she noticed the large telescope-like object in the corner, "Is _that_ the Evil-Scope?"

"Sure is! Neat, huh?" Pop Fizz responded with pride.

"Yeah…so, you said it detects evil _before_ it happens?" Black Ice inquired as she closely examined the telescope, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?" Spyro protested while taking a seat in front of the Evil-Scope and looking through it.

"I don't know, it's just that…doesn't feel off to stop bad events before they happen? Like, what if the universe meant for them to happen, and has a way of fixing itself either way?"

"That's ridiculous!" Jet-Vac scoffed, "As far as we've seen, not a single catastrophe has occurred since we started using this brilliant device."

But as if Jet-Vac just jinxed it, the whole building started to rumble and shake violently, knocking books from their shelves and toppling artifacts from their podiums.

"What's happening?!" Spyro exclaimed.

"Oh, no! There's a mysterious swirling ball of something at the edge of Skylands!" Pop Fizz explained after taking a look through the Evil-Scope, and certainly found a giant ball of destruction within its view.

Just then, Black Ice shoved Pop Fizz out of the way to see for herself, and she couldn't believe her eyes, "It's evil!"

"What do you mean, it's evil?" Jet-Vac questioned in disbelief.

"I've been to the dark side before, and I know what evil looks like. And what's out there is a giant collection of it all! I was right!"

"About what?!" Eruptor shouted over the wind.

But just before Black Ice could explain, her body suddenly started turning black again, just like when she became Black Magic. Her mind and heart was torn between good and evil, and she collapsed on all four while growling like an animal.

And in the blink of an eye, the dragoness suddenly disappeared in a puff of black and purple smoke.

* * *

"Ice! Black Ice, wake up!" Black Ice's ears rang in pain, as she slowly came to with an awful headache. She then felt like she was being shaken, and she felt something grabbing her shoulders tightly.

"W-What…happened?" the dragoness groaned meekly, "S…Spyro?"

"Yeah, it's me, Ice," Spyro spoke softly, as Black Ice's vision adjusted and she could finally see him floating in front of her.

"Where are we?"

"We're inside the swirly ball of darkness."

"What? Why?"

"After you disappeared, we knew we needed to figure out a way to save everyone else before the same thing happened to them. So, I volunteered to fly out here and take out the ball myself…but I got sucked in."

"Ok, but…that still doesn't explain why I'm here," Black Ice pondered aloud, but then it hit her, "The darkness."

"The darkness?" Spyro repeated in confusion.

"The darkness of Black Magic, some of it's still inside me. When the ball of evil detected it, it must've decided to pull me in as well."

"But why would it pull _you_ in?"

"Before I disappeared, I was going to say that the universe really _does_ have a way of balancing itself out. After you and the others stopped all of the evil, it was sent here to co-exist."

"And now it threatens to destroy everything," Spyro stated matter-of-factly, shock obvious in his face, "This is all my fault. I was up for days, beating the bad guys without end. My heroism was the greatest evil thing of all."

"Spyro," Black Ice spoke softly yet firmly, and placed a reassuring paw on the purple dragon's shoulder, "I know what it's like to have done something so horrible…and never able to take it back."

"You're right, I really can't take it all back. I've tried everything, but we're never getting out of here." Spyro's head drooped, as he sighed in sorrow. "Our friends are going to suffer out there, and all we can do is watch."

Black Ice's eyes widened in fear and realization, "And…what will happen to us?"

"We either sit here until the end of our days, or we die along with our friends here soon."

The dragoness lowered her head as well, and she closed her eyes in guilt, "Well, then…if this truly is the end, then I must get something off my chest. Can you handle it, Spyro?"

"Anything, Ice," Spyro replied with a reassuring smile.

"Ok…but know that if we somehow get out of this and everyone survives, you must _never_ tell another soul." Spyro nodded quickly. "When I left for Dragon Rejuvenation, I wasn't lying about the holiday—but I was lying about my _real_ reason for leaving. I didn't just leave for the tradition…I left to find out if I was pregnant."

Spyro's eyes widened and his jaw went slack, "A-Are you?"

"See for yourself." Black Ice reluctantly lifted her cloak, revealing the small baby bump. And Spyro couldn't believe his eyes.

"Well…who's the father?"

"E-Eruptor."

"Does he know?"

"No, and you can never tell him!"

"Fine! But _you'll_ have to eventually!"

"I know!" Black Ice then curled up and grabbed her head tightly in fear. "But what does it matter? Eruptor is never going to live to see it anyway."

Silence remained for a few long moments, as Spyro watched while the poor expecting mother broke down sobbing. But seeing Black Ice like this triggered something in Spyro.

"I won't let that happen. I'll save us both, _and_ our friends—and Eruptor will get to see his child," Spyro declared.

"H-How?" Black Ice sniffled.

"If I'm the most evil thing, than getting out of here might balance everything out."

"I…I think you're right. We have to try!"

"I promise it'll work. Now, follow my lead! And whatever you do, be careful!"

* * *

All of Skylands were being torn apart, as islands and buildings were shattered and unlucky citizens were also caught in the violent winds; some were even thrown off the islands, and plummeted due to the huge earthquakes.

But the ones that suffered the most were Master Eon and the Skylanders because they believed they would not only see their home again, but each other. And they continued to be tormented as they listened to the news channel on the radio, and the reporter slowly counted down until the Skylands' ultimate demise.

"This is it, everyone. I must say it was an honor fighting with you!" Jet-Vac announced sadly yet proudly.

"Same here!" stealth Elf agreed.

"Ditto!" Pop Fizz added.

"My only regret is never finding the culprit who's been using my Skyflix account!" Hugo whined hopelessly.

"Why did it have ta end like this?! Why?!" Eruptor sobbed while pacing, "I finally find the _one_ thing in my life that makes me happy, and now she's gone forever! I'll never see her again!"

"Eruptor!" Master Eon snapped and stopped the panicking lava monster by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Where ever Black Ice and Spyro may be, I'm sure they wouldn't want you to spend your last moments mourning over them! They would want you to be happy, especially Black Ice!"

"But…I just wanted ta say goodbye!"

Suddenly, just before the countdown reach zero, a sonic boom exploded across the realm, creating a flash of dark energy that swept the Skylands. Other affects of the explosion were unknown, but the next thing Eon and the Skylanders knew, Spyro and Black Ice were back in the library.

"Oh, my God! You're alive!" Stealth Elf cheered in awe.

"You two ok?! Are ya hurt?!" Eruptor frantically questioned while helping the shaken dragons onto their feet, Black Ice once again making sure to extend her cloak to hide her secret.

"And what happened to you?" Hugo inquired with great curiosity.

"You're never gonna believe it. Turns out, Ice was right about the whole stopping-evil-before-it-happens-being-bad thing!" Spyro replied with air quotes, but he went a little too fast for the others to understand.

"What he means is, each time he stopped something bad, the unused energy gathered into a clump, creating that _even bigger_ ball of dark energy," Black Ice slowly explained, and the others nodded and murmured in agreement.

"I'm glad you two solved this conundrum, and saved the world as well," Master Eon complimented, "But did you learn your lesson, Spyro."

"I sure did, Master Eon," Spyro responded with a respectful nod.

"I just have one question: Who's _that_ guy?" Stealth Elf piped up while painting her thumb across the room.

She was pointing at a large pile of sheep, and on top was a strange, anthropomorphic red fox creature with no tail bushy eyebrows, blue jean shorts and sneakers.

"Um…where am I, exactly?" the fox asked with a heavy Australian accent.

"This is the Skylands, and you're in Skylander Academy," Eon proudly replied, "What is your name, young man?"

"Crash. Crash Bandicoot—and I have _no_ idea how I got here!" Crash admitted while glancing nervously around, "Last thing I remember, I was on the Wumpa Islands and about ta free my friend, Tawna, from the evil clutches of Dr. Neo Cortex."

"I don't know who that is, but he just _sounds_ like bad news," Spyro added in amazement.

"You don't even know the half of it, Mate! Now, I've gotta get back there, and stop that madman from mutating animals into an army he will use ta take over the world! Will you guys help me?"

"We're the Skylanders! It's our job to help _everyone_ in need, no matter what it takes," Spyro reassured with a smile.

"Trust me, they really _will_ do anything," Black Ice whispered to Crash jokingly, getting the said fox to grin back in amusement.

* * *

 **Spyro may be an arrogant young dragon, but he intends to keep Black Ice's secret safe. Only problem is: When will Eruptor find out?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	9. Chapter 9 - A New Skylander

Chapter 9 - A New Skylander

Matters grew worse once Master Eon failed to send Crash home through a portal of light that he conjured himself, and realized that maybe only a portal of dark energy could send the bandicoot back home…but creating such dark essence wasn't going to be easy.

"M-Master Eon?" Black Ice piped up.

"Yes, Black Ice?"

"What if…I used my dark magic? It might be enough."

"No, no! You can't do that!" Spyro blurted out.

"Why not?" Crash inquired.

"B-Because of her condit…" Spyro slowly stopped himself when both his and Black Ice's eyes went wide with realization, and the dragoness started shaking her head.

"Her _what_?" Eruptor hissed in suspicion.

"Her…her, uh…her conditioner! Yeah, it's flammable around, uh, magic, especially darkness!" Spyro hysterically explained with a goofy smile.

"But she doesn't have hair," Stealth Elf pointed out with a grimace.

"It's a special scale conditioner, for dragons only," Black Ice chuckled nervously.

"That makes sense!" Pop Fizz added.

"And besides, if anyone's responsible for getting Crash home, it's me," Spyro declared firmly.

"I'm proud of you for taking such responsibility, Spyro, but it will take _all of you_ to collect a dark relic that will get Crash home," Eon protested.

"But what exactly qualifies as a dark relic?" Jet-Vac questioned.

"They come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes it can be a sword, sometimes a skull, sometimes even—a baby," Eon explained dramatically.

"No one likes an evil baby," Eruptor commented grimly.

"No, they do not."

"So, where do we find one of these dark relic thingies?" Spyro asked.

"They can be found throughout our realm. But in the interest of time, begin your search in the Falling Forest, in its deepest, darkest parts."

"Heh, sounds easy enough," Black Ice scoffed.

"Don't jinx it," Eon ordered, "Not only does evil lurk in the forest's deepest reaches, but odd occurrences have been known to happen there, too. Many a Skylander have returned reporting strange things happening to them. You must all be more vigilant than ever, and be ready for anything."

"Well, then, what're we waiting for? Let's do this, Skylanders!" Crash announced with excitement.

"I'm not sure that rushing into this blindly is such a good idea, Crash," warned Eon.

"Master Eon, if your team is going to face danger in order to help me, I'm not letting them do it alone. Besides, I'll be _way_ more useful by their side than staying here and worrying the whole time."

"Very well, Crash," Eon stated gently, "Keep him safe, Skylanders. He's unfamiliar with the dangers we face here in Skylands."

"I've seen plenty of danger back in my world, too!" Crash laughed boastfully, "If push comes ta shove, I'll be able ta handle myself right proper! So, shall we?!"

But while everyone was suddenly distracted by Crash's amazing exit, Black Ice suddenly found herself stopped in her tracks.

"Not you, Black Ice. I need to stay here," Eon informed firmly.

"But why?" the dragoness questioned in fear.

"Hey!" Eruptor shouted from across the room, "You comin', Ice?!"

"U-Uh, no! …I guess not!"

"Everything ok?"

"Of course, Eruptor. I just need to talk with Black Ice, is all."

Reluctantly, the lava monster turned and ran out of the library to catch up with the others, leaving Black Ice to curl up in worry.

"I promise you, you're not in trouble," Eon reassured, "But there is something of utmost importance I must discuss with you, Ice—something about your unborn child or children."

Black Ice gasped, her eyes wide and mouth gaping as she shook her head, "I-I'm sorry! W-We were just being reckless, and then things got so heated, and…we were just so happy to finally make amends…I really am sorry, Master Eon, but I don't know what else to do."

"Well, what are you going to do once they are born?"

"I guess…keep it…you're not going to make me get rid of them, are you?!"

"Not if you know what you're getting yourself into, Black Ice. I may not have delved into this subject about dragons much in the past, but I do know one thing: Dragons' powers are driven and fueled by their emotions, and their emotions are at their peak at a young age—like now, for instance. Both you and Eruptor are still young, and have such a long way to go in life, maybe even together—but that is entirely up to you."

"But we both know what Eruptor's like." Black Ice's head drooped, as a tear rolled down her cheek. "He might…not…"

Eon found himself speechless when the dragoness suddenly started sobbing meekly, so he took a deep breath in and out once her sobbing softened, "Black Ice, I assure you, I will do everything in my power to protect you, your child/children—and their father, even if it means lecturing him to do the right thing."

"But…" Black Ice could barely speak when she realized how sore her throat was, "What should I do until then?"

" _I_ think you should be careful, but your decisions and your life are just that: Yours."

"Well, then— _my_ decision is to prove myself to my team and Eruptor," Black Ice informed after wiping her tears away, and spread her wings to lift off, "I may not be a Skylander, but I can still be a hero."

With that, the dragoness flew out of a window and headed for the Falling Forest to search for the others, and Eon stared on in her direction with a proud smile, "That can be arranged."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Eon was surprised to find the gang return with a dark relic in the shape of an old book with a dark purple aura. The old wizard stared in awe at the book in his hands, "I…can't believe it. I haven't seen this in a very long time…I thought it had been destroyed in the Great War. The fact that I'm holding it in my very hands at this very moment…"

"But it's definitely a dark relic, right?" Jet-Vac called.

"Indeed. One of the darkest," Eon replied sorrowfully, and set the book on a pedestal, "And just what I need to open a rift and send Crash home."

With that, Eon lifted his arms and started reciting an old chant loudly, amazing everyone as the book opened and lit up like fire. Before long, a spiral burst from the book and created a swirling portal above Crash and the others.

"Crash…it is time!" Eon grunted while using all of his strength to keep the portal open.

"I can't thank you enough for all you've done to help me, guys," Crash pointed out with a smile.

"Hey, we'll see each other again soon, Buddy," Eruptor protested with a smirk.

"Good luck defeating Dr. Cortex!" Stealth Elf cheered, only annoying Master Eon as more and more of his strength was being drained by the second. But then his agony was prolonged even more when Spryo stopped the bandicoot, thanking him for saving his life and sharing a big hug with him.

"Any time now, Crash!" Eon snapped.

"You rule, Skylanders! See you on the flip side! Extreme goodbye!" Crash shouted with glee and jumped into the portal, once again with a cool jumping spree.

But as everyone basked in the afterglow of their new cool friend, Eon suddenly collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. And in an instant, everyone flocked to his aid to help him.

"Ugh…that…was most taking, Skylanders," Eon groaned while rubbing his head in pain, "Coming my light magic…with the forces of darkness…was a bit more…than I expected."

"Are you going to be ok?" Jet-Vac questioned with great concern.

"I…shall be fine. I just need to rest, is all…and to study that spell book," Eon reassured while glancing at the now closed dark book, "It holds a power…even _I_ do not fully understand."

"Speaking of which, what happened ta Ice?" Eruptor spoke up.

"What? Sh-she went out to search for you, and help you with the mission," Eon explained in fear, "She hasn't caught up to you?"

"Does it look like she did?" Spyro asked sarcastically.

"This is bad, Skylanders! Black Ice is out there, all alone in the Falling Forces with evil lurking around every corner! You must find her!"

"But what about you?" Spyro inquired.

"The sooner you find Black Ice and bring her home safely, the better! Go, Skylanders, go!"

"Stop!" a familiar voice screeched from above, as a black and white dragoness descended and landed amidst everyone, sitting on her haunches in shame, "I…never actually left the academy…I was too scared to find out if whether or not I could help…I'm just not ready for missions yet."

"Black Ice…admitting something so degrading…proves you at least have the courage to put yourself before others," Eon protested meekly, and grunted in pain while hunching over and grabbing his stomach.

"Master Eon! What happened to you?!" Black Ice exclaimed in shock, darting to the wizard's side to help him up.

"I combined my light with dark magic…to send Crash home…and now, I've been infected with the very same darkness…and if I don't get the cure soon, I'll cease to control the evil within."

"Well, then what're we sitting around for?! Tell us where the cure is!" Black Ice demanded fearfully.

"The only cure is located on the Isle of the Citadel," Eon informed.

"The Citadel?! We've only heard legends of its existence, but you—you're saying it's real?" Jet-Vac questioned in awe.

"Indeed. It's a place I built with my own two hands from the ground up after the Great War. I lived there alone for some time while figuring out what to do next…to protect the Skylands from future threats." Everyone tensed when Eon gasped and grabbed his head in pain. "Which lead me to starting the academy, of course. The Citadel is home to some of the greatest secrets in Skylands, secrets essential to our very existence, which is why I've hidden it under a shroud of magic. No Skylander team has ever gone to the Citadel, and only the brave of heart and strong of mind can overcome the obstacles you will face there."

"But we'll find the cure if we past them all," Black Ice stated matter-of-factly.

"Of course. So, I need you all…to…" Before Eon could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back into his head and fainted once more.

"Master Eon, no! We can't lose you!" Spyro exclaimed, "What were you going to say?!"

"Here, take this!" Hugo informed while tossing Spyro an empty blue vial with horns, "Once you get to the center of the Citadel, fill this with light energy and bring it back to Eon."

"We still have one problem: How do we get to the Citadel?" Black Ice asked impatiently.

"All you need to do is stand on the tile that represents your element," Hugo replied while pointing to a circle formation of tiles with elemental symbols on the floor.

"So, _that's_ what those are," Pop Fizz added in realization.

Hastily, each Skylander stood on a tile with the symbol of their respectful powers, and a bright white light began to glow beneath them.

"What's happening? Why aren't we being teleported?" Stealth Elf questioned.

"Because you're missing someone," Hugo pointed out while glancing over at Black Ice.

" _M-Me_? But I'm not a Skylander," Black Ice protested in shock.

"Then why is there a tile with your two elements?" The dragoness followed Hugo's pointing claw, and realized that there was, indeed, a tile with symbols of both Undead and Water.

"But…but…"

"Ice, those tiles only exist if there is a Skylander to serve. Besides, the clock is ticking for poor Master Eon, so your decision will weigh heavily on his fate."

"Alright, alright!" Black Ice snapped from all the pressure, and flew over onto her own tile, which was conveniently placed between Eruptor and Stealth Elf.

"I always knew you were meant to be one of us," Stealth Elf reassured with a thumbs up.

"I believed in ya, too, Babe—even if, ya know, I wasn't that enthusiastic fer the longest time," Eruptor admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"Thanks, guys," Black Ice giggled with a blush, and the lights of the tiles suddenly grew brighter than ever before.

And in the blink of an eye, each of the Skylanders found themselves in a totally different place, a place with serene fields and colorful skies. It all just radiated with beauty and peace.

"Wow, it's…beautiful," Stealth Elf commented in awe, and the others joined her in examining the beautiful new environment around them.

"Think we should move here?" Eruptor whispered to Black Ice.

"We? As in together?" Black Ice questioned, her blush returning.

"Why not? A life here, with _you_ , would be totally awesome."

Black Ice's blush grew darker, as she smiled and chuckled sheepishly, "Well, that's very sweet of you—and I'll definitely think about it."

"Hate to burst your little romantic bubble, Love Birds, but time is of the essence! We need to take this clearly-marked path that leads to the interior, and find the core of light for Master Eon!" Jet-Vac announced firmly, and the others quickly agreed and made tracks down the only path in sight.

It wasn't long before the team came up to a large, metal door with magical gears above it, keeping it locked.

Eruptor was the first to step forth and try to open the door, but to no avail, "Yeah, this bad boy's locked. And unless someone brought a skeleton key, we ain't gettin' through."

All of the sudden, the calming yet powerful voice of Master Eon spoke from the door, "I am your first obstacle. To pass, tell me true: What do you fear most of all?"

"Nothing!" Stealth Elf blurted out, but that only caused a thick chain to cover the door, "Wait! I mean…Kaos!"

Another chain appeared, making matters look even bleaker.

"Uh, never living up to my father's expectations!" Eruptor shouted, but a third chain appeared.

"Jet-Vac's eggs!" called Pop Fizz. A fourth chain.

"Um, uninformed political discourse!" Jet-Vac suggested. A fifth chain.

"Stop! You're all missing a vital part here!" Black Ice snapped and stepped forward, "Don't you remember why we're here?"

"Because of Eon," Spyro replied matter-of-factly, his face plastered with realization.

Black Ice nodded and turned towards the door, closing her eyes and spoke proudly, "I'm afraid of losing my family!"

Just as Black Ice predicted, the door opened to her honest answer, and everyone cheered for her brilliance.

"Obstacle number one defeated. You ma move on to obstacle number two," Eon's voice announced.

"C'mon, let's go!" Black Ice shouted and took flight, this time leading the team.

They soon came up to the next obstacle, a door very similar to the last. But this time, a tall and scrawny wizard with green skin wearing a robe was waiting by the door.

"Hello, there!" the troll greeted happily.

"Are you are next obstacle?" Spyro questioned.

"Well, my friends call me Dale, but for your purposes, yep, I'm the next obstacle. Or, rather, its gatekeeper. Anyhoo, answer my riddle correctly, and you can be on your way," Dale explained and clasped his hands together, "Unless you want to sit a spell with a lonely, old wizard who simply yearns for some occasional human contact."

"As much as we'd love to help prevent you from slowly slipping into madness and monophobia, we really need to hurry and save our master from corruption and possibly death," Black Ice quickly informed.

Dale grimaced and growled in disappointment, "Sure. That's what they _all_ say. But very well—what I am, you cannot see, touch, or hear! I lie behind the stars and alter reality, but I am sometimes what you fear! Close your eyes, even if briefly, and I'll _always_ reappear. What am I?"

Everyone was frozen in confusion.

"Oh, and you only have ten seconds. Go!" Dale shouted.

"Uh, a space ghost?" Spyro stuttered.

"Ooh, feelings!" Jet-Vac shouted in confidence.

"A seriously old wizard whose riddles are hard?" Pop Fizz asked while scratching his head.

"Come on, guys! Think harder!" Stealth Elf demanded.

"Seems like you're gonna fail. We're probably all doomed now. Thanks for that," Dale added grimly, "Four seconds."

"Well, aren't you just a little ray of sunshine?" Black Ice asked sarcastically, and sighed while rolling her eyes, "It's darkness."

The other Skylanders' eyes darted between Black Ice and Dale, wondering if she would be just as lucky as last time.

"You got it!" Dale eventually announced with an impressed smile.

Eon's voice echoed again, "Obstacle number two defeated! You may move on to obstacle number three!"

The door then opened, and the Skylanders wasted no time in running through. But as they passed through it, the same subject all rested on their minds. And it was Spyro who spoke for everyone, "Um, Ice? How'd you guess that so easily?"

"If you'd spent the same amount of time under the corruption of Black Magic like I did, you wouldn't be able to forget what darkness feels like either," Black Ice explained, her head sulking in sorrow, "And everyday, I'm reminded of her—of me and what I did."

"Yeah, but you righted your wrongs when you realized they were…well, wrong," Stealth Elf pointed out, "And there's no one I'd qualify more worthy of true redemption than you, Ice."

"Honestly, where would I be without you guys?" Black Ice scoffed and continued forward, the next obstacle, another door in the same shape as the first two, soon came into view.

But unlike the first two times, the door opened as soon as they came close, revealing nothing but an endless void of clear, blue skies.

"There's nothing there," Jet-Vac stated the obvious.

"I don't get it. Was there another path we missed?" Stealth Elf pondered aloud.

"We gotta go back," Eruptor demanded with doubt.

"If we go back, Eon won't…" Spyro didn't dare finish his sentence. "No…this is the way, I know it."

"But what are we supposed ta do?" Pop Fizz inquired.

"We take a leap of faith, and not just literally—in each other. Don't forget, we couldn't access this place until we _all_ stood on the tiles. This obstacle is not only testing our bravery, but our team bond as well," Black Ice explained firmly, approaching the door and staring over the edge.

"Ice is right! Why else would the path lead us here if it was for nothing?" Spyro added.

"Okay…I'll do it," Stealth Elf announced.

"You ain't goin' without me," Eruptor added.

"Ya gotta go some time!" Pop Fizz announced giddily.

"Oh, like _I'm_ going to be the one to ruin it for everybody? Fat chance!" Jet-Vac pointed out with pride.

"You know, you guys might as well be the best team of Skylanders ever," Black Ice commented with a respectful bow.

"Hey, don't exclude yourself. Only a _true_ Skylander could've gotten us through all these obstacles," Spyro argued with a smirk, placing a reassuring paw on the dragoness' shoulder.

"Well, then, let's not break my perfect record." With that, the whole steam joined hands and ran towards the door, easily going through and plummeting down into the void. Luckily, the endless skies eventually stopped, and a portal suddenly teleported them safely to the hidden ground below.

"Obstacle number three defeated!" Eon's voice could be heard, "Welcome to the Core of Light!"

The whole team's eyes were then fixated on a fountain-like structure before them, with a spinning pedestal in the middle and two beams of light that met above the pedestal, and all three created a magnificent and endless beam of pure light that shot straight up into the sky.

"There it is. The key to balance and harmony in our world," Jet-Vac breathed in awe.

"I can't believe we're actually here. This is the coolest thing I've _ever_ seen," Eruptor commented with a big smile.

"I can vouch for that," Black Ice sighed in amazement.

"Hearing the legends as a child is one things, but to _actually_ see it…" Jet-Vac began, but was cut off by the enticing beauty of the light.

"I could just stand here and look at it forever," Stealth Elf added while slouching.

"Guys! Guys, remember why we're here! We still need to save Eon, and we're running out of time!" Spyro exclaimed and took flight, pulling out the vial Hugo gave him and carefully placing it into the beam of light. Soon enough, the vial lit up, indicating it was full of enough light to cure Master Eon.

But out of nowhere, the epic moment was ruined when some cheesy ringing rang through the air. At first, everyone glanced around in confusion, until Jet-Vac chuckled in realization.

"Oh, sorry! That's me!" Jet-Vac then answered the built-in phone in his vac-gun, "Hello?"

"Jet-Vac, it's Hugo!" Hugo's paranoid voice shouted from the other side of the line, "You and the Skylanders gotta get back to the academy _now_!"

"What's wrong? Is it Eon?" Jet-Vac questioned with worry.

"No! It's way more than that! The academy is under attack!" Everyone gasped in shock, and their terror rose even more when the phone call was suddenly cut off.

Without another word, the entire team sprinted for the nearest portal and teleported back to the academy. But when they returned, the library was left in shambles.

"What the hell happened in here?!" Eruptor exclaimed in surprise.

"Master Eon, we did it! We got the potion!" Spyro called and flew over to the said old wizard on the floor outside of his secret vault, and the purple dragon hastily lifted his head and brought the vial to his lips.

Everyone waited in anticipation, as Eon audibly gulped down every last drop of light in the bottle. And when the potion was all gone, a bright white aura engulfed Eon and revived him to his healthy and brighter state.

"Skylanders!" Eon cheered with a smile, his voice strong and proud once more, "You saved me."

After that, the Skylanders gave Eon some space to recollect himself, and he sat comfortably at his desk while sipping a smoothie.

"Feeling better, Master Eon?" Black Ice asked with great concern.

"Mmm, good as new. Thanks to your heroic efforts" Eon replied with a hum, but then turned towards Hugo, " _And_ this smoothie. What flavor is it, again?"

"Evil-eating elderberry," Hugo replied jokingly.

"Most delicious," Eon comment before taking another small sip.

"Master Eon, I think there's something you should know," Jet-Vac spoke up and shared a knowing look with the others.

"And what's that?"

"We're so happy you're ok, Eon, but we never could've saved you on our own," Spyro explained with a smile.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ever since we arrived on the Isle of the Citadel, Black Ice has literally helped us through every challenge thrown at us," Stealth Elf continued while smiling at Black Ice, "She has even more potential now than ever before."

"She's totally everything an awesome Skylander _should_ be!" Pop Fizz happily pointed out.

"So, we all think she should be made an official Skylander, once and for all, Eon," Eruptor firmly declared.

"I believe her untouched potential is perfect for that of becoming a Skylander as well—but Black Ice can only be a Skylander is _she_ wishes it," Eon explained while standing smiling proudly down at the said dragoness.

Black Ice looked around the room, completely dumbfounded by all of the positive energy around her, "You…you are guys are serious? You really want me on your team?!"

Everyone smiled and nodded. "Well, then…who am I to say no? Of course I wanna be a Skylander!"

The black and white dragoness suddenly found herself swept off her feat by her new team, as they bounced her and cheered her name.

"I'll say it again: Where would I be without you guys?" Black Ice sniffled when shedding a tear of joy.

* * *

 **Whoo-hoo! I finally finished season one! And I cannot wait to start season two!**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	10. Chapter 10 - Who We Are

Chapter 10 - Who We Are

News of Master Eon's revival and the newest addition to the Skylander team traveled fast across the Skylands, and even the popular news channel Sky 13 Action News wanted to interview the whole team after these exciting events.

"I'm Claire Skylandersson for the Sky 13 News Team! You are my audience, and this is Skylands Now: Profiles in Heroism!" a female Mabu reporter announced while heading into the team's house, and sat down with them in their living room with a few cameras rolling, "Today's subject is those plucky protectors of peace, the Skylanders! With their vast heroics, incredible powers, and even some a new team member, they've captured hearts all across Skylands! Today, I sit down with the Skylanders to ask them the important questions. Who are they? How do they spend their downtime? What's their favorite condiment—ketchup or mustard? So, let's go down the line and have each of you share without home audience what your powers are."

"Oh! _My_ powers?! Jeez, where do I begin?" Stealth Elf gasped, stage fright obvious in her voice when a camera zoomed in on her. But all of the sudden, a helpless crying cat could be heard, and the ninja elf disappeared for a few seconds before returning without breaking a sweat, "Sorry, had to rescue a kitten from a tree across campus. What was the question, again?"

"Is being an alchemist with the ability to create magic potions and charms considered a power?" Pop Fizz questioned while opening a random beaker and drinking the liquid inside, and he turned into a sheep while everyone nodded in response, "Oh, it is? Ok, then that!"

The blue gremlin then bleated before drinking another potion and turning back to normal, and then the cameras averted their attention to Eruptor.

But the camera shy lava monster suddenly vomited all over the floor, and Black Ice helped comfort him by rubbing his back, "Sorry, I-I sometimes do that when I'm nervous…also, I can spew lava."

"Oh, is it my turn? Yes, well, all I can do is _this_ ," Jet-Vac chuckled boastfully, aiming his vac-gun at one of the cameras and shooting it down, but he quickly hopped up to fix it, fearing that he broke it, "Goodness! Sorry! My apologies!"

"What an incredible array of unique abilities you all have. Now, let's hear it from the dragons of the team. Spyro, you first. What's your special thing?" Claire asked with great curiosity.

"Well, Claire, I don't wanna overshadow my friends here, but—it's kinda hard not to when you're flying hundreds of feet above them," Soyro began with pride, hovering above the Mabu reporter, "Now, you're probably thinkin', 'Spyro, you are on fire!' Yeah! That's because I also, ya know, breathe fire!"

But while Spyro laughed, Claire only stared on with an unimpressed expression, "And?"

"And…you may applaud, or blush. Whatever you need to do ta display your awe. I can wait," Spyro replied nonchalantly.

"Well, _every_ dragon has those abilities. I'm talking about the special superpower that only you have, which would make you an integral part of the team," Claire protested with a sneer.

"Well, um…like I said, I think if you just…i-it reminds me of…" Spyro couldn't find the right words, and instead retreated behind the couch to hide.

"Right…why don't we move onto the next and newest addition to the team: Black Ice!" Claire announced happily, as another camera hovered in front of the said dragoness' face, "Tell us, what's special about you?"

"U-Uh…um, well, I'm…a bit of a wild card…y-you see, I have more than one element type, which include Undead and Water," Black Ice began with a sheepish smile, and her nervousness was even more obvious than the others', "I can breathe ice, freeze my enemies, and even turn this entire building into an ice rink, but I haven't exactly tapped into my Undead element that much…and when I did, I kinda almost destroyed the academy."

"There you have it, Folks! Unlike a certain unimpressive teammate, Black Ice has pulled through as an interesting and mysterious new Skylander! Stick around for more answers, and maybe even some gossip on the budding romance between a certain dragoness and lava monster!" Claire spoke loudly while flashing the cameras the suggestive look.

Even some of the Skylanders looked over at Eruptor and Black Ice with smirks, but the two said lovebirds only quivered and went wide-eyed in embarrassment.

* * *

Luckily, Master Eon convinced that that subject was too private to share with the public, and so Claire interviewed the rest of the team with less-personal subjects.

"Oh, God, another second in front of that camera, and I would've thrown up as much as Eruptor," Black Ice groaned, curling up on the couch once everyone stood up from their seats.

"I feel ya. Plus, who do they think they are fer trying to invade our privacy like that?" Eruptor growled in annoyance, "They're just lucky Eon was there ta kick 'em out, or else I would've-!"

"Eruptor, it's nice that you're being so protective of us, but please, no burning anyone's skin off again," Black Ice warned while gently grabbing Eruptor's face and shaking her head.

"Alright…" the lava monster whined.

"At least the news channel actually _wanted_ ta know out more about you, Ice! I barely got two sentences on TV," Spyro pointed out, his arms crossed in aggravation.

"Look, I'm sorry if I kinda stole your spotlight, but I didn't mean to. I didn't even wanna be interviewed in the first place."

"Skylanders!" Eon called from outside, and there was great despair obvious in his tone. So, the whole team hastily headed outside, to find the old wizard standing next to where his hover-podium would be. "Someone has absconded with my beloved podium! I want you all to make finding it your top priority!"

* * *

Everyone went their separate ways to use their abilities in finding Eon's hover-podium, and Eon and Hugo to answer the tip line…but with no luck.

And it seemed that each time the Skylanders tried to look for answers, they were slowed down by Spyro and his meddling. He even interrupted Jet-Vac's lie detector test with Hugo, and was proved false by the said machine when he said he was a professional lie detector as well.

"You ok, Spyro? Ever since yer interview, you've been actin' kinda weird," Eruptor pointed out with a quirked brow.

"You don't need to prove anything. _We_ know how awesome you are" Stealth Elf reassured.

"I am _not_ trying to prove anything ta anybody!" Spyro snapped.

"Super false," Jet-Vac's lie detector announced.

"Seriously, Spyro, we'll always be there for you, even if there's nothing oh-so special about you. Isn't that good enough?" Black Ice questioned softly, but Spyro only responded by grunting in aggravation and flying out of the building.

* * *

The Skylanders eventually took a break from the investigation, and Stealth Elf, Black Ice and Eruptor did so by relaxing outside of the academy together. But they all couldn't shake a certain purple dragon from their minds…

"I've never seen Spyro act like this before," Stealth Elf broke the silence.

"I'm guessin' he's so depressed about not havin' any superpowers," Eruptor figured.

But as if he jinxed it, Spyro was seen flying through the air while performing barrel rolls and loops, and he was even laughing and whooping hysterically.

"Doesn't look that depressed ta me anymore," Black Ice pointed out sarcastically, as Spyro quickly flew down to them.

"What's up?" Spyro asked nonchalantly.

"Well, _someone's_ frown has finally turned upside-down," Stealth Elf began with a smile.

"Yeah, it's the craziest thing! Ya see, I was just bitten by a cosmic alien fly, so now I have all these amazing fly superpowers!" Spyro announced with pride, "So, get on your social media and spread the word: Spyro is part fly now. #Fly-dro."

"'Fly-dro?'" Stealth Elf repeated with a scoff, "C'mon, dude, you do _not_ have fly powers."

"Oh, no? Well, then, how else am I able to scale buildings?" Spyro argued and quickly jumped up, clinging to the side of the academy.

"Talons," Stealth Elf replied flatly.

"Wings," Eruptor pointed out grimly.

"Recklessness," Black Ice added dryly.

"Your _usual_ powers," Stealth Elf continued.

"Fine! I don't have fly superpowers, or super-fly powers! Is that what you wanna hear, huh?! …I'm just a powerless nobody with lame dragon abilities."

"Don't you realize I would do anything to have what you call 'lame dragon abilities'?" Stealth Elf argued with air quotes.

"Ditto. I'd even do anything just ta have fingers, so I could make air quotes," Eruptor informed while waving his giant, handless lava arms.

"And honestly, I wanna know what it's like to breathe fire," Black Ice admitted.

"It's just not fair," Spyro sighed, "Why am I the only Skylander without something exceptional about him?"

"Maybe you'd learn if there's something more exceptional about you if you spoke to another dragon," Stealth Elf suggested.

"Like that cadet, uh…Flashwing!" Eruptor informed.

Spyro only groaned and rolled his eyes, "Been there, done that. She was too busy admiring her own reflection ta even notice me. How can she be so self-centered when this is supposed to be about me?! Besides, can't you help me out with this, Ice?"

"I'd love to, but don't forget, I was orphaned, too. I know just as little about dragons as you do, let alone who we are and where we come from," Black Ice sadly explained.

"Look, dude, we get why you're so bummed out, but maybe the best thing ta do is just keep doing your normal routine, and a new power might reveal itself that way," Eruptor explained in annoyance.

"So, what you're saying is, that I just need to put myself in a situation that would force my hidden superpowers to come out! That's brilliant! Thanks, Eruptor!" Spyro cheered with realization and flew off.

"I don't think I said any of that," Eruptor pointed out in confusion.

"No, you didn't, which is why I'm gonna follow him," Black Ice agreed and flew after Spyro.

"Why do _you_ have to go after him?!" Stealth Elf shouted.

"It takes a dragon to keep up with another dragon!"

With that, Black Ice secretly trailed Spyro all the way to one of Jet-Vac's class, which was currently in progress…before he interrupted it and ordered all of the cadets to start attacking him. So, to prevent anymore dumb ideas or injuries, Black Ice quickly called Eon on her cell phone, and it wasn't long before the wizard himself projected his ghostly head above the class.

"Cadets, cease and desist! Spyro, come see me— _now_."

Once again, Black Ice managed to stay hidden while following Spyro, as he shamefully sat on his haunches while Eon lectured him at the academy. But when Black Ice heard Eon say he would have to suspend Spyro from the team until further notice, she suddenly felt like it was her fault for ratting him out.

But then, Eon left the building to get the suspension papers, and the tip line suddenly started ringing. Spyro eventually answered and pinpointed the caller's location.

"Time ta go fight myself a villain," Spyro thought out loud with a devious grin.

"Uh-oh," Black Ice quietly gasped, and she knew for sure that she just couldn't sit idly by, or else Spyro would get himself killed. So, she stealthily followed the purple dragon all the way out to a small island with palm trees, and there were numerous coconuts and bombs on the ground with the infamous villain Bomb Shell in the middle.

But Spyro proved to be a much faster flier than her, so by the time she arrived, he had already started a brawl with the British turtle.

"Ignite my bombs with your fire breath, and we'll all be turned into coconut shavings!" Bomb Shell threatened, holding out a bomb to emphasize his point.

"Fine! What's the point? All my life, I thought I was special, but it turns out I'm just a regular ol' dragon with no superpowers," Spyro pouted and kicked a random bomb away in frustration.

"You mean, I almost wasted my precious bomb on a dragon with no bloody special powers?!" Bomb Shell laughed hysterically, "Because I'd rather use it on something totally bomb-worthy—like Eon's precious podium!"

"No!" both Spyro and Black Ice shouted, alerting the said purple dragon and turtle villain of her presence.

"Ice, get back! It's gonna blow!" Spyro warned…but no explosion came. Instead, the coconut-shaped bomb just bounced off of the hover-podium.

"W-What happened?" Black Ice stuttered in surprise and finally landed on the island.

"Yes. Curious. Usually, something quite explode-y happens by now," Bomb Shell pondered aloud while picking up the coconut to examine it closely, "It's a coconut! Ha! Guess I accidentally threw a coconut instead of the bomb."

"But if that's just a coconut, then where's the _real_ bomb?" Spyro questioned slowly in terror, and he and the others turned towards a giant pile of coconuts. So, all three of them immediately went to work on skimming through the pile to find the real thing.

"Why would you even make bombs that look like coconuts?!" Black Ice snapped.

"Don't judge me! Everything's more fun with a bit of tropical island flair!" Bomb Shell argued.

"I found it!" Spyro exclaimed while holding up a metal coconut with a lit fuse, "Quick, how do you defuse it?!"

"I'm a bomb _maker_ , not a bomb defuser," Bomb Shell informed with a sneer.

"Gimme that!" Black Ice hissed and snatched the bomb from Spyro, and she opened her mouth to try and breathe some ice, in hopes of coating the bomb and putting out the fuse. But just when she got her mouth open, the fuse ran out and the entire island was covered in a fiery explosion with a giant cloud of smoke to follow.

Just then, the rest of the Skylanders arrived to save their friends, as Bomb Shell was thrown off the island and disappeared into the clouds below…but Spyro and Black Ice were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, no…we're too late," Stealth Elf whimpered, as tears started welling up in her eyes.

"No, this can't be! They can't be gone! Spryo, Ice, answer me!" Eruptor cried out, rock-like tears spilling from his eyes as well, "Please…"

"Hold on," Jet-Vac demanded when he swore he heard something within the smoke, so he pulled out his vac-gun and used its wind power to blow the black cloud away.

And, as if by miracle, there were to figures standing right there, completely unharmed; Spyro shielded himself with his wings wrapped around him like a cocoon, and Black Ice had turned into an intangible shadow.

"Oh, my God! You're alive! I don't believe it!" Stealth Elf cheered, as she and Eruptor were the first to rush over to the two dragons and give them great big hugs.

" _You_ don't believe it?! _I_ don't even know what I just did!" Black Ice protested in amazement after becoming solid again.

"Yeah, that blast should've turned us inta seared Skylanders! How is this possible?!" Spyro added in awe. Just then, Jet-Vac used his vac-gun to scan the two dragons, and he was amazed with the results.

"I'll tell you how. Spyro, your dragons scales are completely impenetrable," Jet-Vac began with excitement, "And Black Ice, your Undead element has provided you with the ability to become an invincible shadow!"

"Shut the front door! That sounds like a—dare I say it—superpower!" Spyro exclaimed with great happiness, and the others even joined him during that last part.

* * *

With the satisfaction of having an actual, non-dragon-related superpower, Spyro and the others returned home with Eon's hover-podium, and the said old wizard couldn't be happier to finally have it back—as well as the two dragons who risked their lives to get it.

"Black Ice, Spyro, I am very glad that you are safe," Eon began softly, "You—and Edgar Allen Podium! Yes, that's my podium's name! It's amazing and you know it!"

"It is," Black Ice giggled with a nod.

"Well, now that we've discovered my impenetrable scales and Ice's untouchable shadows, we have the chance to become truly great," Spyro announced proudly, looping an arm over Black Ice's shoulder.

"In all my years, I've seen many with superpowers come and go, and they've all taught me one thing: It's not powers that make one great, but how one uses those powers," Eon explained firmly yet softly.

"Well, if these powers are only manifesting now, maybe there are others left to discover!" Spyro pointed out in excitement.

"Perhaps. Who knows? You may have a more powerful beard than even _mine_ waiting to sprout—a-at least, Spyro would."

"But we also realized that there's so much about our kind we don't even know, or if we're even from the same species at all," Black Ice informed with curiosity.

"Yeah, if we wanna be the best Skylanders we can be, we need to learn everything about our ancestors," Spyro added in agreement, but then he and Black Ice noticed the strangest thing. Eon seemed to lose his cool for just a split second.

"Uh…a-a noble quest. But never forget about all your more pressing responsibilities at the academy," Eon denied while opening the door for them.

"We won't, Master Eon," Black Ice reassured, as she and Spyro headed out.

"Did you notice something weird about Eon a second ago?" Spyro asked quietly once the door closed.

"Sure did…you think he's actually hiding something?" Black Ice questioned with worry.

"I wouldn't like to believe it. 'Sides, this is _Master Eon_ we're talking about. He wouldn't keep such important secrets from us."

"I guess not…"

* * *

Later that night, not too long after the Skylanders had finished eating dinner, they all started getting ready for bed. But one inhabitant in particular knew he couldn't go to sleep without having a talk with Black Ice.

"Hey, Ice," Eruptor spoke up, stopping Black Ice and Stealth Elf in their tracks while they were heading up the stairs, "Can I talk ta you?"

"I'll leave you two alone," Stealth Elf informed with a smirk before disappearing.

"Is something wrong?" Black Ice asked with worry, as she climbed back down.

"No…well, not really…look, I thought I lost you taday, Ice, and I don't know what I would've done if I really had."

"You didn't forget that Spyro could've died, too, right?"

"Yer missin' the basic point here!" Eruptor rubbed his head and sighed. "Why don't ya bunk with me tonight?"

Black Ice's eyes went wide, and a faint blush spread across her face, "M-Me sleep with you? I-I mean, non-sexually, of course."

"Yeah, yeah! Just…I need ta know you're safe," Eruptor admitted sheepishly, "So, please, would you at least do it for me?"

"Of course, Dear," Black ice sighed in defeat but wore a true smile, nonetheless, and even leaned forward to kiss the lava monster's forehead.

And it wasn't just the kiss that took Eruptor by surprise, but the pet name as well. _He_ was usually the one to call her cute names, but now that she's starting to gave him the reassurance that he was closer to her now more than ever.

And that's all Eruptor wants.

* * *

 **Their relationship may be all sunshine and rainbows right now, but it will be put to the test in the near future.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	11. Chapter 11 - What's to Come

Chapter 11 - What's to Come

Black Ice slowly awoke with a faint humming sound close by, as well as a noticeably great heat below her. She then sighed and smiled when she remembered she spent the night with Eruptor, which would explain why his bed was rather warm, being a lava monster and all. She had actually been sleeping with Eruptor for a couple nights now, and she swore she hadn't slept so well in so long.

But Black Ice looked over her shoulder to find that the humming was coming from her phone on the nightstand, so she quickly but carefully turned over and grabbed it, as to not awake the slumbering lava monster beside her.

Black Ice checked her notifications, and was surprised to find a text message from Master Eon.

"Eruptor! Eruptor, hey, wake up!" Black Ice whisper-shouted while shaking Eruptor awake.

"Ugh…wha…what is it, Babe?" Eruptor asked groggily, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"It's Eon. He says we all need to come to the academy now!"

* * *

After some rather difficult convincing of waking everyone else up so early, especially Eruptor, Black Ice eventually got them out of bed and told them about Eon's text message. So, with that news, they perked up a bit and hastily made their way to the academy.

"Master Eon, what's wrong?! Is there a bad guy?! Did you lose your beard spray again?" Spyro exclaimed with worry; though, the last part was a bit more sarcastic.

"I'm glad you could all make it on such short notice, for today's mission is of utmost important; though, considerably, not evil," Master Eon announced, "Skylanders, meet our new potential cadet: Cynder!"

As soon as Eon moved out of the way, the others gasped at what they saw walk out from behind him; it was a young dark purple and pink dragoness with white markings and a spiked shackles on her neck and wrists, and her light blue eyes radiated with excitement when she saw the Skylanders.

"She's a dragon!" Spyro gasped with excitement.

"Ok, I'm just as excited as you to get another possible dragon Skylander, but thanks, Captain Obvious," Black Ice commented sarcastically with a smirk.

"Welcome to the academy, Cynder," Stealth Elf greeted politely, "I'm Stealth Elf, and this is Jet-Vac, Eruptor, and-."

"And that's Pop Fizz," Cynder cut in giddily while pointing a claw at the said blue gremlin, and then she smiled brightly at Black Ice and Spyro, "Which means _you're_ Spyro and Black Ice!"

"Wait, you've heard of us?" Spyro questioned.

" _Heard_ of you? You guys are my heroes! And that's just what I wanna be. A hero, just like all the Skylanders," Cynder informed.

"Well, we can get you ready to take on any threat you face, but the first question we need to answer in order to do that is—ever seen another dragon that looks like me before?" Spyro asked with high hopes.

"Or maybe me?" Black Ice added sheepishly.

"Uh…not from my neck of the woods. Sorry, guys," Cynder replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Even though you aren't the same type of dragon, I'd like you two to spearhead Cynder's preparation for her admission test. With the Doom Raiders still on the loose, as well as other thrests growing more audacious by the day, we need all the help we can get," Eon explained firmly.

"So, the student has become the teacher!" Spyro laughed matter-of-factly.

"'Teacher' is such a strong word," Black Ice protested with a smirk, "Why don't we just stick with 'more experienced friends' for now?"

* * *

And so, Black Ice and Spyro took Cynder out to the coliseum to begin her training with the simulations. But as numerous holograms of the Doom Raiders and others were spawned, Cynder was beginning to have doubts.

"Now, don't be nervous. This is just a pre-test, so that we can see where your skills are," Black Ice informed reassuringly.

"Can these guys…hurt me?" Cynder whimpered.

"Not if you don't want them to."

"And they would if you weren't a dragon. I bet they won't even be able to lay a finger on you with all your sweet abilities and powers," Spyro protested with a smile, "Just do your thing and you'll be all set."

"Holograms-schmolograms," Cynder scoffed, "A bunch of virtual villains will be a walk in the park compared to when I fought the dreadbeast Blob Gnarley with one wing in a cast, a nasty chest cold, and only one bar of cell reception."

"Well, that sounds…unbelievable," Black Ice commented in disbelief.

"Yeah, I wish I could've seen it!" Spyro cheered, "So, why don't you show us how ya took that dreadbeast down ta SkyChinatown?"

With that, Cynder jumped out into the field to face the holograms, but she didn't move at first and only stared on like a deer in the headlights. And when the holograms started to surround her, she panicked and started pathetically slapping at the air with her eyes closed.

"Go ahead and use your powers!" Spyro instructed.

"Don't be afraid to show them what you've got!" Black Ice shouted.

But Cynder only continued to helplessly waved her claws around hysterically, as the holograms quickly closed in.

"She's not makin' any progress, is she?" Spyro whispered.

"No," Black Ice sighed in reply, and then they grimaced and cringed when the holograms started mercilessly beating Cynder to a pulp. So, before she could get severely injured, they called off the holograms and rushed to her aid.

"It wasn't supposed ta go like that, huh?" Cynder groaned matter-of-factly.

"It's fine. Even holo-villains get lucky," Spyro reassured with a shrug.

"And you can always try again. Until then, we won't give up on you," Black Ice added while stretching a comforting wing over Cynder's shoulder.

* * *

Next, they took Cynder out to a peaceful and remote island to help comfort her.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate your guys' help," Cynder pointed out bashfully.

"Well, with us as your instructors, you'll learn from the best and avoid any mistakes," Spyro boasted with his chest puffed out.

Black Ice only scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Not true. Only through making mistakes will you learn how to better yourself, Cynder. Never forget that. Now, behold—your first enemy."

Cynder looked behind her when Black Ice pointed a claw at a sheep carelessly grazing nearby, and she was a lot more confident this time since this challenge was much smaller and softer.

Unfortunately, when she opened her mouth to let out whatever mysterious powers she had, all that came out was a bunch of coughs and strains.

"Um, ok…probably best ta just get all that out before you fight," Spyro suggest with a quirked brow, but then realized something, "Hold up, Cynder! Back in the coliseum, all that talk about beating Blob Gnarley with one wing and a chest cold, and only one bar of cell service…?

"Oh, I totally had that chest cold…but my wing injury was more of a severe sprain from texting on my phone too much, which had full bars of service," Cynder slowly and reluctantly corrected, her head drooping in shame, "I never fought Blob Gnarley…would now be a good time to tell you I've never fought anyone with my powers? 'Cause it feels really good to get it off my chest."

As Cynder laughed in relief, the others only stared at her in shock, making her laughter awkwardly die down, "Yeah…probably should've waited to tell you that part."

"No offense, but I never actually believed it in the first place," Black Ice informed flatly, "But that doesn't mean I never believed in you."

"How? How is it possible that you're a dragon, and you've never used you powers?!" Spyro exclaimed in disbelief, "I mean, do you have any idea how much fun it is to use your powers to make s'mores? It's like you're some sort of god of the great outdoors!"

"Well, I've been told what I _should_ be able to do—but my powers sound so intense, that I'm afraid of what they might do," Cynder explained in sorrow.

"Ya know, whoever told you that sounds like they know a lot about dragons," Spyro tried with excitement, "I wonder if they might know stuff about my species, too."

"Spyro, this isn't the time to worry about our own problem," Black Ice hissed at the said purple dragon.

"No, h-he's fine, Ice…it's just that, I think it's time to admit the truth. There's just no way I'm getting into the academy…which means, there's no way I'll ever be a Skylander," Cynder admitted with great doubt.

As Cynder quietly sulked some more, Spyro and Black Ice exchanged worried glances, but it wasn't long until one of them had an idea.

"I'm going to tell you a little story, Cynder," Black Ice began firmly, "Not too long ago, there was this cadet who was just like you, totally afraid of what she could do and if she had what it took to be a Skylander. But, through trials and tribulations, she eventually found her purpose as part the core Skylander team. Do you know who that cadet was?"

Cynder shook her head. "It was me. And you wanna know what I learned when I became a Skylander? I learned that no matter what life throws at you, no matter what anyone tells you—you can never give up beyond shadow of a doubt."

"True story. I was there," Spyro added, "And she's got a point. Why don't we just get back to your training? We know you have amazing powers somewhere inside, we just have to find them and let them fly free!"

"But how?" Cynder inquired.

"By controlling your emotions, "Black Ice informed, "Anger, for instance. What're you angry about right now?"

"Yeah, what _really_ chaps your scales?"

"I really don't know…"

"Pasta sauce lids too tight?" Spyro suggested.

"They're not ideal. I agree," Cynder agreed with a low growl.

"And how is it that after all these years of amazing inventions, no one's ever designed a cereal bag that seals closed yet?" Black Ice piped up, making Cynder hunch over and bare her teeth in anger.

"Ooh, how 'bout this? When your mom or dad are all, like, 'Clean up your cave!' or 'Use your inside roar!'" Spyro announced dramatically, and that finally did it for Cynder. She opened her mouth and not only let out a loud roar, but also a beam of powerful white electricity, as her wings and white markings glowed brightly.

She even managed to hit the sheep by mistake, but she amazed Spyro and Black Ice, nonetheless.

"So, that's _one_ of my powers?" Cynder asked in awe, "Cooool! …But it was also kinda scary. I still don't wanna hurt anyone, not even sheep."

"Well, you already sound like a Skylander to us," Spyro pointed out with a smile, Black Ice nodding in agreement. And that finally boosted Cynder's confidence to _really_ begin her training.

So, they took her out to the rotating course to practice on some solid objects instead of holograms. And as soon as she recognized the patterns, she jumped towards a spinning blade and suddenly evaporated into a shadowy figure, easily passing through the blades to safety.

Spyro was totally amazed that Cynder had discovered yet another power, but Black Ice couldn't shake the fact that those powers were just like hers! Unfortunately, they didn't have time to discuss it now, as they took Cynder out to some more remote islands and set up targets for perfecting her lightning breath.

And soon enough, Cynder was ready to return to the coliseum, and she was ready to test out her newfound powers on the holograms—and she passed with flying colors.

"Alright, now, this next lesson is all about expecting the unexpected!" Black Ice announced, as she and Spyro started training her up in the air.

"Knock-knock! Who's there? The unexpected? I've been expecting you!" Cynder joked and darted around her mentors, letting loose another bolt of electricity in their direction. But Black Ice managed to cloak herself in darkness and dodge the attack, unlike Spyro who got hit and thrown down to the ground.

"Whoa, you have shadow powers, too?" Cynder asked in excitement, but then she looked down and remembered Spyro, "Oh, sorry! I meant to do a tiny zap! Are you ok?"

The two dragoness quickly descended to help Spyro back onto his feet, but there wasn't a scratch on him.

"Ugh, ow…wait, not 'ow'? I should be in great pain right now," Spyro pondered aloud, forming a great idea, "Do that again, Cynder!"

"I-I don't wanna hurt you," Cynder argued.

"That's just it! I don't think you can!" Spyro then stood up on his hind legs and raised his arms, completely exposing himself. So, Cynder reluctantly shot him with another powerful zap, but Spyro remained totally unharmed.

"I'm electric-proof, too?! I knew my scales were impenetrable, but now _this_?!" Spyro cheered, "I guess that's one of the perks about having no idea where you came from. New surprises around every corner!"

But while Spyro basked in his new discovery, Cynder sighed and walked off to sulk…again. It didn't take long for Black Ice and Spyro to notice this, so they quickly joined her side.

"Did you ever think maybe you're lucky you don't know your ancestors or family?" Cynder questioned with a sigh.

"Lucky? Lucky how?" Spyro repeated in confusion.

"Like, what if you found out—they aren't like you?"

Spyro gasped dramatically, "You mean, like if they were lame? Couldn't pop and lock? Didn't wake up lookin' like _this_?"

As much as Spyro tried to make Cynder feel better, his plan didn't work as well as he wanted it to. But all of the sudden, Master Eon's heard was projected before them.

"Skylanders, report to the Yum-Yum Fun Burger, where there is a not-so-fun situation brewing!"

"Alright, Cynder, time to apply your training in a _real_ showdown! Let's go!" Spyro declared while taking flight.

"Are you sure I'm ready?" Cynder questioned in disbelief.

"The readiest. Come on!"

Cynder smiled and lifted off to follow Spyro, but Black Ice suddenly found herself in great pain and unable to take flight.

"You comin', Ice?" Spyro called back while stopping in mid-air.

"I'll catch up with you later…I'm just a little tired!" Spyro quickly figured out what Black Ice meant, remembering her current situation, and lead Cynder the rest of the way to the Yum-Yum Fun Burger.

Once she was alone, Black Ice sat down and took deep breaths while clutching her slightly bloated stomach. Luckily, it didn't distend out of nowhere like last time, but the pain was nevertheless alarming.

"Ok…ok, it's ok…it's just a kick, or maybe a growth spurt. Nothing out of the ordinary, and you are _not_ going into labor yet," Black Ice told herself, keeping her eyes closed and continuing to breathe slowly, "But it's a telltale sign that you _are_ getting closer…no, your friends need you…Skylands needs you!"

Black Ice sat up straight and spread her wings, and the pain miraculously disappeared almost completely as she darted across the sky to get to the others. But by the time she arrived at the Yum-Yum Fun Burger, she was greeted with the terrifying sight of the entire building being lit up with a familiar electrical blast.

So, Black Ice hastily flew inside and found the rest of the team sprawled out under some rubble from the explosion…but there was someone missing.

"What happened? Where's Cynder?!"

"Sh-She's gone," Spyro reluctantly informed.

* * *

With this heavy news of Cynder's disappearance, the Skylanders made haste to the academy to tell Eon of this unfortunate…and why.

"Cynder's father is Malefor?!" Eon exclaimed in shock, "I should have realized! I knew her type of scales looked familiar, but hadn't seen them in a long time. I guess I was just so pleased that she came to join our ranks that it never occurred to me that she could be born of evil."

"But who exactly _is_ Malefor, Eon?" Eruptor spoke up.

"Only one of the most fearsome and powerful villains in the realm, and a foe who will not take kindly to Cynder running away from home to join our fight for good," Eon firmly explained, "You _must_ find her before she returns to Malefor's home in the Cadaverous Crypts."

"And what will happen if we don't?" Jet-Vac questioned with worry.

"I have little doubt Malefor will groom Cynder to become an evil dragon overlord, just like him."

"Wow…this is all my fault," Spyro sighed in disappointment, "All of my yippity-yap about good guys always being good and bad guys always being bad must've convinced her that she can never be good."

"You told her _what_?!" Black Ice snapped, "Why would you say that when it's not even true?! Have you forgotten what _I've_ been through?!"

"I-I wasn't thinking clearly, and we were getting beat up pretty bad, a-and Cynder wasn't acting like herself!" Spyro stammered.

"But you said it all, anyway! And if you believe if someone is bad once, then so be it!" With that, Black Ice stormed out of the academy while sobbing, leaving everyone behind in a haze.

"This is bad," Stealth Elf stated grimly.

"Dragons are some of the most powerful creatures in all of Skylands, but their great power also makes them emotionally volatile. This is why Cynder's, and even Black Ice's, confidence wavered today," Eon explained, "All three of you must always keep your emotions in check. Now, go! Find Cynder and Black Ice before Malefor can!"

* * *

Way out in the much darker parts of Skylands, where the sun hardly ever shined and darkness reigned supreme over the dead isles, a lone purple and pink dragoness hid out to ponder her true purpose in life.

"You _truly_ believe everything Spyro says?" Cynder gasped and looked up to find none other than Black Ice above, and she descended down to the other end of the small island.

"What're _you_ doing here?" Cynder hissed, but Black Ice didn't bother to turn around and only stared out into the infinite darkness.

"I thought I told you never to let anyone or anything get to you. besides, if you really wanted to avoid your father's expectation of becoming evil, you would've done a much better job than _that_."

"If you've come here to talk me into coming back, there's no point…I'm just evil."

"That's _not_ why I'm here, and that's _not_ true!" Black Ice finally turned and quickly approached Cynder with a scowl. "If you knew what it's like to be me, you would never return to a life like this again! And the only reason I'm here because I need to prove myself to my team—again."

"What do you mean again?"

"Back when I told my story of becoming a Skylander, I left out a few important details. For one thing, I joined the Doom Raiders…and nearly killed all my friends."

"No way…" Cynder breathed in shock, but quickly shook her head, "I-I mean, that's nothing compared to what _I_ have to live with!"

"And you don't have to live with it anymore!" that all-too familiar voice of Spyro's could be heard, as the girls looked up to find the Skylanders arrive in their SuperChargers.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone!" Cynder roared.

"And you expected them to listen?" Black Ice questioned flatly.

"Master Eon told us about your dad, but even though you were born evil, you still chose to come to Skylander Academy. Which means, deep down, you are good," Spyro firmly explained, and then turned towards Black Ice, "And that includes you, Ice. I'm sorry about what I said, I truly am. What happened in the past was never entirely your fault, and we all know that."

" _I_ accept your apology," Black Ice replied dryly, and then gave Cynder and expecting look.

"No. You said it yourself, Spyro. Bad guys are bad guys, and that's it. So, I might as well succumb to the evil path my dad has planned for me," Cynder protested with a glare.

"But I was wrong! You _are_ one of us, and we aren't leaving without you," Spyro argued back.

"They're not kidding around," Black Ice added softly with a smirk, earning the smallest smile from Cynder.

But the moment was ruined when a massive object suddenly came barreling out of the sky, and landed on the island across from them. The large object was a gigantic black dragon with a fiery orange and red glow, and everything from his piercing yellow eyes to his long tail was absolutely terrifying.

"Malefor…it's really him, "Spyro gasped, "I've only seen dragons like that in books!"

"Cyndie! There you are, Sweetheart!" Malefor cheered in appeasement, his voice deep and booming, "You were not at the mall like you said you'd be. I looked everywhere for you. I even sent a Mabu into Vampire's Secret to see if you were in a dressing room or something—before eating her. Anyhoo! Taco night? I was thinking we could-!"

Malefor cut himself off when he finally noticed the Skylanders before him.

"Skylanders. You dare enter _my_ realm?" Malefor growled threateningly, and then grinned, "Perfect. You're just in time for taco night. First course—Skylander _asada_!"

"No me gusta," Spyro whimpered.

Malefor roared and blasted a giant fireball, but Eruptor counterattacked with two smaller fire blasts, stopping it in mid-air.

"We're not leaving without our friend and soon-to-be-Skylander!" Black Ice shouted.

"You think Cynder wants to be a good guy?" Malefor laughed hysterically, "I raised her to be evil and merciless. She'd _never_ turn her back on her birth right. Would ya, Kiddo?"

But Cynder only looked between the ground and her father's eyes in confusion.

"Oh, Honey. Everyone wonders if they're good at one time or another, but you know good and well your destiny lies in the Cadaverous Crypts—ruling by my side," Malefor tried to reassure.

"The only thing that rules is this sweet move I've been workin' on!" Spyro scolded and took off, flying around Malefor's head and blasted him in the face with a powerful fire ball.

"You'll regret that!" Malefor hissed in annoyance, and he roared while grabbing one end of the Skylanders' island and pushing down, forcing them to slide down onto another island below. But Black Ice and Cynder quickly took flight and avoided the same fate, as Cynder retreated to another island to avoid the conflict at hand.

"Look out!" Black Ice warned when she saw the SuperCharges sliding down as well, and they all just barely managed to avoid getting crushed or impaled, Eruptor especially just a hair away from getting impaled by his Lava Lance between his legs.

"Cynder, listen to me! You were right!" Spyro called out when Malefor finally managed to grab him, and smashed him between his claws and the ground, "Good and bad aren't black and white!"

"I would know! Just because you're born bad, doesn't make you evil!" Black Ice added while helping Spyro fight by covering Malefor in coats of ice, only to effortlessly break through soon after.

"Do you _really_ believe that?!" Cynder called back with doubt.

"We do!" Black Ice replied.

"Because we met you!" Spyro pointed out, "Every choice you make, you have the power to choose to be good!"

Just when Malefor threw Spyro across sky and sent him crashing to another island, he suddenly took Black Ice by surprise and grabbed her in his claws, and then returned to Spyro to hold him down again. But when Malefor took a closer look at Spyro, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"You're supposed to be extinct," Malefor grunted.

"Wait! What did you say?" Spyro questioned in shock.

"Your scales. Only one breed of dragon has _these_ scales."

"Who are they? Where are they?!"

"I told you, extinct. Wiped out, every last one of them—except you."

"How do you know that?!"

"Because your kind were my sworn enemies." A long and devious grin then crept up onto Malefor's face. "And _I_ helped to eradicate them."

Spyro gasped in horror, and struggled even more to escape, but to no avail.

"How do we know you're not lying, Malefor?" Black Ice hissed, struggling just as much to escape so that her unborn children wouldn't be crushed.

"Mmm. Are you sure you're one to talk?" Malefor hummed confidently, lowering his voice to a demonic hiss, "Aren't you a little young to be a mother? I hope you're prepared for what's to come with parenting a young dragon."

Malefor let Spyro free of his grasp, holding Black Ice far off to his side while opening his mouth wide to incinerate Spyro. But Cynder had had enough, and she jumped down and use her electric breath to counter her father's fire, even pushing it back hard enough to knock him down.

The giant dragon lord growled in disappointment when he his enemy had not only been saved by his own daughter, but when Black Ice finally escaped his clutched as well.

"Dad, I'm sorry, but I don't want to be evil," Cynder protested, "I want to be one of them, and you can't stop me."

With that, Cynder grabbed Spyro and carried him off to safety while following the other Skylanders, Black Ice not too far behind.

"Go then! But know this: When next we meet, you will _not_ be my daughter! You will be my enemy!" Malefor boomed.

* * *

Once Spyro was revived, Cynder went with Master Eon to take her Skylanders admission test. And as Spyro and the others waited outside of the academy for Cynder's results, the said purple dragon was continuously pacing back and forth.

"Spyro, relax. I'm sure Cynder's crushing that entrance exam," Stealth Elf reassured after getting annoyed from all the pacing.

"Yeah, you're makin' me dizzy here," Black Ice joked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! This is my relaxed pacing!" Spyro denied and finally stopped to take a seat.

Just then, the doors flew open to reveal Master Eon and Cynder, but their expressions only showed sorrow and disappointment as they walked out.

"Oh, no! Master Eon, please, let her take the test again! I _know_ she'll pass!" Spyro begged with big puppy eyes.

"Already did! Gotcha!" Cynder laughed as her and Eon's faces suddenly went from depressed to confident, and the others honestly couldn't help but chuckle, too, "Expect the unexpected, right?"

"You are evil, ya know that?" Spyro argued in annoyance, but still wore a smile.

"Not any time soon," Cynder simply protested.

"Skylanders, show Cynder to cadet housing so she can get situated!" Eon ordered with a delighted smile, and Eruptor and Stealth Elf were soon off the lead the way.

"You guys go ahead! I'll catch up!" Spyro called.

"Me, too!" Black Ice added.

"Hey, thanks again, guys. For everything," Cynder softly pointed out, and her mentors smiled and nodded before she ran after the others.

"Master Eon, during my fight with Malefor, he said something pretty crazy—he said I'm the last of my kind. Is it true?" Spyro questioned the old wizard in suspicion.

"Someone left you, _both_ of you, in the forest where I found you, right?" Master Eon gently protested, "Remember what I said about a dragon's emotions being a strength and a weakness? Malefor is clever, so he said that to get you off balance in battle. It's best not to stew any longer over Malefor's lies."

"Ok," Spyro sighed in defeat, both he and Black Ice disappointed in the answers they got, "Thanks, Master Eon."

"Now go, make out newest cadet feel welcome," Master Eon softly instructed, and Spyro hastily took off without even looking back. He didn't even notice that Black Ice stayed behind.

"Master Eon…I know he's evil and all, but Malefor still knows what it's like to be a parent," Black Ice began with worry.

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying I have no idea what I'm getting myself into with this baby or babies—and I don't want what happened to Malefor's family to happen to mine."

"You and I both know you would never let that happen, so I wouldn't worry."

"I guess only time will tell, huh?"

"It seems that way, yes."

"I was afraid of that."

* * *

 **Is Black Ice ready to be a mother? And will Eruptor be ready to be a father? Like Black Ice said, only time will tell.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	12. Chapter 12 - A Painful Reminder

Chapter 12 - A Painful Reminder

One of the Skylanders' favorite holidays, Thankstaking, had finally arrived and everyone planned for an entire weekend of spending time with their families and taking a well-earned break.

"You sure you won't come? The family'd love ta meet you," Eruptor begged his girlfriend, as she walked him out to a portal.

"I'm sorry, Hon, but I couldn't possibly burden your family, especially when your dad is still so busy with trying to pay off last year's fiery incident with Spyro," Black Ice protested while shaking her head, but she put on a comforting smile, "And don't worry, I won't be all alone—Elf will be here, too, remember?"

"If you say so," Eruptor sighed in defeat, gently bringing the dragoness' lips closer to give her a tiny yet passionate kiss. Without another word, the lava monster smiled and waved goodbye before the portal teleported him away to his home, and Black Ice was secretly relieved that she managed to slip out of that one.

She didn't just want to stay back at the academy to avoid being a burden, she mostly wanted to stay to prevent the risk of Eruptor finding out she was pregnant. Staying with him and his family for a whole weekend was just too big of a risk, so Black Ice just couldn't go along with it.

But as soon as the others were gone and Black Ice turned to head back into the academy, she nearly jumped out of her scales when she was immediately greeted by an over-excited Spyro.

"Jeez, Spyro! Ya can't just sneak up on an expecting dragon, or else sheep's gonna hit the fan!" Black Ice whisper shouted with a death glare before trotting around the purple dragon.

"Look, I understand why _you_ would pretty much wanna spend some time alone, but you're not technically alone if you think about it, so…" Spyro began while following her.

Black Ice's head drooped, as she sighed and shook her head in defiance, "Which is exactly why I need to stick with my own plans for the weekend. I need to do some studying and exercising, so that _we_ will be safe."

"But-!"

"I'm sorry, Spyro."

With that, the dragoness spread her wings and took off, and Spyro didn't bother to follow her knowing she was probably right. Meanwhile, Black Ice headed into the town to find the local library, and she accessed a computer to do some research.

"Ok, let's see…" she muttered to herself while scrolling down, carefully reading the text on the screen, "Dragon pregnancies, here we go…wait, what? 'No information found yet'? Oh, well, that's just great."

She went back and retyped 'pregnancy exercises', and the dragoness was fascinated by what she saw.

"Finding everything ok, Ma'am?" the librarian asked quietly, but Black Ice didn't want her to know who she was, so she quickly pulled the hood of her cloak over her head.

"U-Um, for the most part, yes," Black Ice whispered with a stutter, all while avoiding eye contact with the old Mabu, but she gasped when the Mabu turned away, "Wait a minute, Miss Librarian! What're you doing here? It's Thankstaking, so why aren't you with your family?"

"I am, Dear." The librarian pointed a paw behind her, where a large group of numerous Mabu, young and old, sat together with giant old scrapbooks all over the table. "Every year or so, we spend the holiday looking through our old family scrapbooks, and adding to new ones."

"Wow…that's really sweet." Black Ice looked down in guilt. "What am I doing? I shouldn't be alone either…so to speak."

* * *

By the time Black Ice returned to the academy, she was surprised to find the whole building completely empty.

"Hello? Spyro?! Elf?!" the dragoness called out, but there was no answer. She sat down on her haunches in confusion, but then she suddenly felt the familiar pain in her stomach again. "Ugh…why does this keep happening?!"

Black Ice clutched her belly tightly in pain, and she felt it slowly grow in size again; she would have to try harder than ever just to keep it hidden now.

"What? No, no! This can't be happening!" The poor dragoness started to panic. "Help me!"

Just then, the secret door to the Relics Room whirred as it opened, and Stealth Elf walked right out.

"There you are, Ice!" Stealth Elf greeted with a smile, but it immediately faltered when she saw Black Ice crying in agony, "Ice, what's wrong?!"

The elf teleported to Black Ice's side, immediately skimming her over to try and help.

"You've gotta tell me what's wrong so I can help!" Stealth Elf firmly instructed.

"If I told you, you have to promise not to tell anyone!" Black Ice cried.

"What?!"

"PLEASE!"

"Ok, ok! I won't tell anyone!" Stealth Elf didn't really want to go along with this, but if it was the only way to help her friend, then what choice did she have?

"Oh, no!" Spyro exclaimed as he flew out of the Relics Room with a huge book in his claws, and he quickly flew down to the poor dragoness, "It's ok, Ice! It's just a growth spurt, it's completely normal!"

"Are you sure?" Black Ice whimpered.

"I'm positive. Listen to me, you're gonna be just fine, and it'll be over before you know it."

And just as Spyro promised, the pain eventually subsided in just a moment or two, and Black Ice was panting heavily in relief while sitting back up.

"Uh, did I miss something?" Stealth Elf questioned in suspicion. Spyro and Black Ice shared looks of concern, and then the purple dragon nodded in response. So, the dragoness inhaled and exhaled before pulling her cloak off, and revealing her now bigger baby bump.

Stealth Elf gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, "No, way…"

"Elf, what I said back there, I mean it. You really can't tell anyone my secret—especially Eruptor," Black Ice firmly yet softly explained, as she put her cloak back on.

"The last time I told Eruptor one of your secrets, we both really regretted it—so I'll let _you_ do the right thing when the time is right," Stealth Elf reassured, placing a gentle hand on Black Ice's shoulder.

"Thank you, Elf. It really does mean a lot to me." The dragoness then stepped forward and embraced the elf in a big hug.

"Just one more question?" Spyro cut in, "Can I be its godfather?"

Black Ice giggled, "I'll think about it."

"Oh, and one more thing, Ice. The main reason I wanted to go into the Relics Room was so that I could find out more about my ancestors—but I didn't anything," Spyro sadly explained, as he held the book out to Black Ice, "But I did find this. It's an old book about dragons, and I already read a few good chapters on dragon pregnancy. I'm sure it would really help you with your parenting predicament."

"This is really nice of you, Spyro. Thank you," Black Ice pointed out and gladly took the book, and then gave him a platonic little kiss on the cheek.

"Aw, i-it was nothin'!" Spyro boasted with a visible blush.

* * *

Once the holidays were over and everyone returned to the academy, things were back in business with protecting the entire realm from evil. But some things just never changed, as the Skylanders relaxed in the academy and Jet-Vac helped load all of the cadets' midterm exams waiting to be graded by Hugo.

"Here you go, Hugo! They're all ready for you to start grading!" Jet-Vac pointed out while placing the last pile of papers on the desk.

"Ah, yes, the midterms. I'll get to those after my mid-morning cookie break," Hugo informed in excitement and grabbed out a large box of cookies, but there were no cookies inside, "Wait…that's not right. I _know_ I had cookies in this box."

"Hmm, tough break," Jet-Vac hummed sarcastically with a smirk, "Or should I say, tough cookie break?"

As the old bird burst out in laughter, Hugo just stared at him with a flat expression. Eventually, Jet-Vac's laughter awkwardly died down, "Right, then! Time to grade, Hugo!"

"Man, look at that stack! That's gonna take all day," Spyro exclaimed in amazement when he saw the countless high stacks of papers.

"True. If I were using the old grading machine, that is. But I'm not!" Hugo explained with excitement, as he approached a small red curtain, "We have a brand-new grading machine!"

Hugo the pulled down on a rope, and the curtain fell to reveal a shiny and large machine with multiple buttons and screens, and everyone either 'ooed' or 'awed' at the magnificent gadget.

"Where did you even get this thing?" Stealth Elf questioned in surprise.

"Sprocket made it for me," Hugo replied and pulled up another red curtain, revealing the said female Tech-based Skylander herself.

"You didn't tell me I was gonna be under that sheet for an _hour_!" Sprocket snapped at Hugo.

"Uh, anyway, Sprocket, why don't you tell everyone about your new invention?" Hugo asked slowly.

"This is the SkyTron-5000, a posi-track, sensory-driven identification slushbox with a billet replica pencil sharpener." But as Sprocket was excited to explain her invention, the others only stood dumbfounded. "It scans and grades tests with perfect efficiency."

Finally, the others understood what she meant, and so she grabbed some midterms and brought them to one end of the SkyTron-500, "Now, watch as I slip these flat sheets into the accu-bin and…flash-boom! Graded midterms."

"Hold your flash-boom right there!" Jet-Vac quickly interrupted, "What if that thing destroys the midterms? The cadets would have to take them all over again!"

"True, which is why I tested the SkyTron on the old academy entrance exams," Sprocket calmly protested.

"That's great!" Hugo cheered.

"But it turns out your old machine graded a ton of them incorrectly."

"That's not great."

"Skylanders, unite!" Everyone quickly looked around when they heard Master Eon's slightly muffled voice, but he was nowhere to be seen. "You can't see me, can you?"

With that, Eon stepped out from behind the tall stacks of midterms in embarrassment, "Much better. Now then, I have shocking news. It seems the old grading system made a big mistake on one of _your_ exams."

"So, one of _us_ didn't pass?" Black Ice inquired with worry.

Spyro gasped in terror, and suddenly groveled at Eon's feet, "Ya can't make me take the test again, Master Eon! It's not fair! It's not fair!"

"Spyro, it's actually quite the opposite," Eon informed while yanking his robe from Spyro's grip, "It seems one of you has achieved the new record for the highest score ever."

"Yup! Must've outdone myself again! So, what do I get? Some kind of medal? Trophy? Statue? A giant sandwich in the shape of my face?" Spyro chuckled boastfully.

"Not you, Spyro. Nay, the Skylander that tested off the genius charts is—Eruptor!" Eon proudly announced…but as if he jinxed it, Eruptor the 'genius' was actually playing with the buttons on the SkyTron-5000 while giggling like a child.

"Ok, I love the guy but… _really_?" Black Ice pointed out with a cringe and tilted her head in confusion.

"Really, what?" Eruptor asked with a smile, and so Sprocket handed him his old exam and explained his perfect score, "A geniu-? _Me_? A _genius_? Spyro, buddy, I am _so_ sorry. I didn't meant to take your record or-."

"Dude, are you kidding? This is awesome!" Spyro cut him off with a smile, "I'm totally happy for you!"

"Seriously? You're not jealous?" Jet-Vac questioned in suspicion.

"Yeah, don't you love being the best?" Pop Fizz added.

"Yes, but I _also_ love when my buddy Eruptor discovers a new previously-untapped ability that the Skylanders can use to defeat the bad guys. Your genius is a superpower," Spyro protested while slinging an arm over his lava friend's shoulder.

"Well, if you think I'm a genius, I guess I am one," Eruptor sighed in defeat, but then his eyes went wide in realization, "How does one 'genius'?"

"Try using your newfound intellect to test where your cerebral faulty truly exists," Eon explained.

Eruptor was quiet for a moment, "Oh, was I supposed to understand any of that, Master Eon?"

"Just do your best to see what you're good at solving, Dear," Black Ice informed reassuringly.

So, Eruptor first went with Jet-Vac to test his knowledge of math and physics with a quantum physics equation…only to doodle a poor image of Eon's face on the chalk board. Next, he went with Master Eon to battle against him in a game of chess, but he eventually started playing with the timer instead. And with one last attempt, Hugo took Eruptor with him to teach a class at his community college, but unfortunately vomited lava all over the floor from his stage fright.

Eventually, Eruptor just gave up and went to sulk at the academy, "I'm sorry, guys. I know I'm supposed ta be super smart because that's what my exam said, but for some reason, I just can't genius right."

The others all exchanged glances of guilt, as the lava monster stood from his seat and started pacing, "Oh…maybe I should just focus on simple things in life, like pondering how wheels roll, or why cats meow, or why those cookie crumbs are on the couch. I mean, they look about six hours old, but that's weird because Hugo's cookie break was five hours ago. And it's even weirder that there are traces of bird seed mixed in with the crumbs, so either Hugo took an early cookie break with some birdseed, or Jet-Vac ate Hugo's cookies first."

" _You_? J'accuse, Jet-Vac?!" Hugo exclaimed while pointing an accusing finger at the said bird Skylander.

"Me?! What?! But I couldn't have because, you see, I was just…" Jet-Vac nervously denied, "Oh, fine! I ate the cookies. I just can't get enough of those mint chips."

"How dare you?" Hugo hissed.

"Chill, Hugo! That's not important right now. Eruptor totally just used his genius to solve a mystery in, like, four-point-two seconds!" Spyro pointed out while holding the angry Mabu back.

"Wait, does this mean the room doesn't freeze for you guys sometimes, and allow you to look around and see tiny pieces of a bigger puzzle?" Eruptor slowly asked.

"I have no idea what any of that even means!" Pop Fizz quickly informed.

"Oh, this just got more interesting," Jet-Vac chuckled in amusement.

"Well, Eruptor, it seems you really _are_ a genius," Eon stated with a smile.

"Not that there was ever a doubt," Black Ice reassured.

"Aww, I can always count on you ta make me feel better, my little cherry," Eruptor cooed and gently pulled Black Ice close, making her blush intensely from the public affection.

"So, you can look around and see things no one else can, and everything remains frozen in place as you do it?" Stealth Elf cut in, "That amazing, Eruptor! You're like some kind of super detective."

"How long have you had this ability, Lad?" Jet-Vac inquired with great curiosity.

"Uh, ever since I was a pebble, but a stopped using it way back when because using it would give me these…" Just as Eruptor was in the middle of his explanation, he suddenly grunted loudly in pain and grabbed his head while stumbling over to the couch.

"Are you ok?" Black Ice gasped and rushed to Eruptor's aid, feeling the top of his head and was surprised that it felt colder than usual, "Goodness, you're freezing!"

"I know! Using the room-freezing, seeing-things power it gives me…" Eruptor groaned in agony, once again interrupted by another sharp twinge of pain, "…these splitting headaches!"

"If Eruptor is going to use his ability again, he will need some _technical_ assistance," Eon pointed out with a stroke of his beard.

So, Eon contacted Sprocket and asked her to come up with something to help Eruptor with his headaches. And sure enough, she soon returned that afternoon with some good news.

"Ok, Eruptor, using my whiz-bang tech powers, I was able ta whip up contacts to protect your eyes from the crazy-powerful focus which gives you those awful migraines. Here you go," Sprocket explained and pulled out a pair of contact lenses, and she carefully placed them over Eruptor's eyes.

With a few blinks and some squinting, Eruptor soon adjusted to the lenses.

"So?" Eon urged.

"Hey, my head doesn't hurt anymore! Time ta test these contacts out!" Eruptor exclaimed in happiness, and he glanced over the balcony until everyone and everything suddenly turned blue and went into suspended animation.

Eruptor was fascinated he could slow time at his command, and he quickly ran down to see what he had done; Stealth Elf's blade was stuck in mid-air when she was playfully flipping it, Spyro was also in mid-air while watching Pop Fizz juggle some empty beakers and accidentally drop one on Jet-Vac's head, and even the pages of the big book Black Ice was binge reading were vulnerable to Eruptor's eyes.

And as soon as Eruptor read through the pages himself, he was suddenly caught off guard by the mystery of Eon's disappearing beard spray.

 _That's the cabinet Eon keeps his beard spray in, but he thinks a ghost uses it at night 'cause he runs out every morning. But I don't think a ghost can leave scratches on the floor in the shape of hooves, and the still-moist residue on this latch matches the nose of a warm-blooded mammal, a mammal using its nose to move the latch and open the cabinet doors. But if a mammal were to take the beard spray, how would it hold it? Oh, sure, it could use its nose to nudge the can off the shelf, but the clatter would wake Eon up every night…_

When he was sure he had this case closed, Eruptor headed back to his spot next to Eon and Sprocket before he started using his powers and deactivated them.

"So, whoever this thief is is able ta somehow catch the can in silence—the fluffy, wool-based kind," Eruptor continued aloud, startling both Eon and Sprocket, and he headed back down to lift the couch and reveal a hidden sheep with Eon's can of beard spray.

"A sheep? But why would _you_ want my beard spray?" Eon exclaimed in anger.

The sheep merely set the can down and sprayed himself, turning his white coat into a crystalline show of amazing sparkles, immediately captivating everyone.

"Who is this sheep trying to impress?" Jet-Vac breathed in awe.

"Not gonna lie, I wanna pet it now," Sprocket admitted with a giggle.

"I need some of that!" Pop Fizz demanded.

"Congratulations, Eruptor! You solved the academy's greatest mystery. This resurrected power of yours is quite magnificent," Eon complimented.

"This is gonna be amazing! I can't wait ta catch some bad guys," Spyro added with excitement.

"But they already caught a bad guy—didn't they, _Jet-Vac_?" a familiar paranoid voice came from behind Jet-Vac.

The said old Skylander gulped in fear, "He's behind me, isn't he?"

The others simply nodded, knowing it would be futile to try and protect him from Hugo now.

* * *

To celebrate Eruptor's new smarts, Stealth Elf, Black Ice and Spyro all joined Eruptor on a nice stroll around campus, and he started flinging around his detective skills while they passed by some cadets.

"Roller Brawl wears two pears of socks because her feet are too small for her skates. Wind-Up has a leaking chassis. He stopped and sniffed the air when he approached Food Fight. "Food Fight uses non-organic tomatoes in his blaster."

"Wow! You're, like, some uber gossip machine that doesn't need ta gossip ta get gossip!" Spyro breathed in awe.

"Yup. But it's cool. Everyone's secrets are safe with me," Eruptor pointed out with a shrug, and then gave Spyro a knowing wink, confusing the said purple dragon.

"But you kinda just exposed them anyway," Black Ice informed with a grimace.

"Skylanders! The academy's sheep herd has fallen ill! Due to something infecting their grass! Go to their isle to solve this mystery!" Eon's ghostly head instructed when it appeared out of nowhere, and so the gang made haste to the Isle of Sheep to investigate.

"What's wrong with them?" Stealth Elf asked the Shepard Mabu.

"I dunno, Man. They were totally _bueno_ when I left for lunch, but when I came back the ground was all, like, not-grass colored, ya know? And, like, the sheep were all totally this way, ya know?" the Mabu explained in a slow and hippie-like tone.

"No, we don't. That's why we're here," Spyro flatly informed.

"Guys, lemme take a shot at this," Eruptor firmly suggested and used his skills to freeze everything again, and he went around closely examining the grass, "The soil's not contaminated, it still has water in it, and this grass isn't just gray—it's dead."

Eruptor turned around and deactivated the time freeze to clue the others in on his analysis, "Someone or something has sucked the life out of every blade of grass here."

But just when they started pondering this predicament, master Eon contacted them once more and told them to head to Snap Shot's home in the Swamplands immediately. And once they arrived with the rest of the team, Snap Shot had the wind knocked out of him.

"I was just standing here, gazing at my beloved Swamplands home, when…blammo! Blasted from behind!" Snap Shot explained before groaning in pain, "And when I woke up, my home was gone."

The Skylanders climbed over the ridge and gasped in horror to find that he was right; all the water in Snap Shot's home was gone.

"How could someone siphon away the entire swamp? And _who_ could do that?" Stealth Elf pondered aloud.

They all turned around when they noticed Eruptor was gone, and he was below the ridge while using his super detective skills again.

"These tracks drag like a dress would. No, no, no, no, no, no…a robe! And…that smell…has the stinging sensation left in the wake of someone who uses dark magic."

Once more, Eruptor eradicated the frozen time to release the others from its grip, "I know who's responsible for all this evil. Robe plus dark magic equals—Kaos!"

"Kaos? Uh, this doesn't sound like his usual deal. He's more of a 'poorly plot then come at us with irrational confidence' type," Spyro protested in disbelief.

"Right. I forgot _you_ are the resident genius here," Eruptor argued back sarcastically, "Oh? What's that? _I'm_ the genius. Ok, then maybe everyone should trust _my_ analysis, which has yet to be proven wrong."

Suddenly, Snap Shot was groaning more than usual, and he nearly fell over if Stealth Elf hadn't teleported to his side to catch him, "Guys, we need to get Snap Shot to the academy for medical attention!"

"Great. You guys do that while I solve this mystery solo," Eruptor instructed and turned to leave.

"Eruptor, listen. I know you're riding high on this genius thing, and you should. It's _so_ cool—but that doesn't mean you should go looking for villains on your own," Spyro informed while stopping the lava monster in his tracks.

"Hm. I think I know what you're saying, Spyro—you're jealous."

"What?!"

"Ever since I beat your record for the highest exam score, you've been lookin' for any reason ta shut me down."

"No way! I'm looking out for the best interest of my teammates _and_ my friend!"

"Oh, that's nice. So, you were looking out for your teammates and friends when you stole that dragon book from the Relics Room, too?" Eruptor grinned in confidence when Spyro's eyes went wide, proving that he was right. "That's right. I pieced that little nugget together at the academy when I started using my power. And it's funny how the guy who was willing to steal from Master Eon is trying to tell me what the right thing to do is."

"Fine! You wanna risk your neck and solve this yourself? Then just go! Im done trying to help you!" Spyro snapped and flew towards the others, "C'mon, guys, let's get Snap Shot back to the academy. Eruptor the genius is on the case, _alone_."

"Wait!" Black Ice exclaimed and attempted to stop Eruptor as well, "Please, Eruptor! Don't you think you're being a little too irrational?"

"Irrational? Oh, that's a real card. I don't really think you're one ta talk rational here, Black Ice—especially since you've been lying to me about _my_ child that you're carrying," Eruptor growled and towered over the dragoness making her quiver, and her made her squeak in fear when he suddenly pulled back her cloak to reveal her pregnant belly, "I also figured that one out earlier today—but what I can't figure out is why you've been hiding it from me all this time."

As soon as Eruptor let go, Black Ice started crying and took a few steps back, her eyes filled with fear.

"Fine, don't tell me. Run away, even—it's what you're good at."

Black Ice instantly stopped sobbing when Eruptor said that, and so she stood proudly and wiped away her tears when Eruptor walked passed her, "Maybe I keep secrets and run away all the time because you're just a painful reminder of what we used to be."

It wasn't visible, but the look on Eruptor's face momentarily went from disgusted to ashamed, and he stopped in his tracks as Black Ice suddenly took off and disappeared over the horizon. But Eruptor couldn't stop now, especially since he already talked big about stopping the villains on his own, so he eventually continued on in silence and regret.

* * *

Black Ice eventually spotted a remote island far enough from the academy or any other civilization, and spent a majority of the afternoon crying her eyes out.

"You big lug head…why can't you ever just appreciate the great things you have in life?" the dragoness sniffled once her tears had died down a little, "Why did I have to fall for you?"

She then drooped her head down and felt the familiar bulge in her torso, so she straightened her back and gently placed both paws on her baby bump.

"Because I _do_ love you."

Suddenly, two giant explosions in the sky pulled Black Ice from her thoughts, and she gasped when she realized they were Eruptor's warning flares. But she hesitated as soon as she stood to ready herself for the flight back home; should she really help him after what he said to her…or does she risk the destruction of the father of her child/children?

"No…no, I love him!" Black Ice exclaimed and took off at lightning speed, darting across the skies and following the smoke trails behind Eruptor's flairs. And when she reached a larger island with a sizable town, she was devastated to find none other than Eruptor getting the life sucked out of him by a dark and ever-growing Broccoli Guy.

"Almost done, boulder boy. Say goodnight," Broccoli Guy mocked in a demonic tone.

"NO!" Broccoli Guy glanced up in confusion, and a raging and roaring Black Ice came barreling out of the sky, immediately latching onto his power-siphoning staff.

"Let go, you wretched dragon!" Broccoli Guy boomed, violently waving his staff around to shake Black Ice off.

"Give Eruptor his powers back!" Black Ice hissed while holding on even tighter.

"His powers?! I've taken his entire life source! He's dead!"

Black Ice whimpered and shook her head in disbelief, "No…"

This gave Broccoli Guy the opportunity to throw off her guard and literally throw her off, sending her flying towards a building like a rag doll. She would've surely perished if she hadn't used her shadow powers, and phased through the wall just in time.

"Now, then, with her out of the way," Broccoli Guy chuckled darkly, as he turned towards Eruptor's lifeless body, "Say goodbye."

"You say goodbye, we say hello!" Master Eon called from behind, taking Broccoli Guy by complete surprise when he saw the whole Skylander team standing right behind him.

Spyro was first to attack by flying around him and dodging his attacks, eventually breathing powerful flames all over him; Stealth Elf was next when she appeared from out of the sky and kicked Broccoli Guy hard in the face, sending him down towards Pop Fizz, who threw a beaker of a explosive potion. When Broccoli Guy was phased by the potion, Jet-Vac used his vac-gun to shoot a powerful gust of wind on his back and send him towards Master Eon, who used his kung fu-elite beard to whack the villain high into the air.

"Eruptor! Eruptor, baby, come back to me, please!" Black Ice begged once she rushed to her lover's side, but he still remained motionless and silent, further arising her fears. But the Broccoli Guy came plummeting back to the ground hard enough to knock all of his new powers out, and that's when his staff started to glow so that those powers could escape.

Black Ice immediately knew what she needed to do, so she flew over to the staff and smashed the orb at the top into the ground with all of her might, shattering it into a million pieces and freeing all of the elements inside. Even Eruptor's fire element flew back into his body, bringing back his fiery glow and awakening him.

"Eruptor!" Spyro cheered as he and the others fled to their lava friend's side, cheering for the fact that he was alright. But the one who was most excited to see him alive was Black Ice, and she proved that by sprinting up to him and embracing him in a tight hug.

She didn't say anything, not that anything needed to be said. Eruptor figured that this would be enough for her to say that she forgave him, and vice versa. So, Eruptor carried Black Ice bridal style over to a nearby bench, and he was suddenly reminded of the pain he caused her and his friends.

"Thanks for comin' ta save my hide, guys…I-I know I let my new smarts go ta my head, and I was being a huge jerk," Eruptor sighed in regret.

"Nah, just a regular jerk—which I happen to know a thing or two about, big guy," Spyro jokingly reassured.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted. I just wanna go back to being the Eruptor I was before all this 'highest exam score ever' stuff." With that, the lava monster pulled the special contacts from his eyes, and burned them until they evaporated into thin air.

"But what about your super detective powers…and the ability to see what people are trying to hide in any given situation you walk into?" Spyro questioned slowly.

"Well, I realized that some secrets are best left exactly that: Secret. Besides, we all have our reasons for doing what we do, right?" Eruptor gently protested.

"That's not completely true. You were right, I shouldn't have lied to you, Eruptor—to _any_ of you," Black Ice pointed out in sorrow, as she sat on the other end of the bench and turned away from Eruptor.

"Can you guys give us some privacy?" Eruptor asked the rest of the team, and they all simply nodded before taking a portal back to the academy, "Look, Ice, I know you're probably thinking that this is all your fault, but it's not. I'm sorry for everything I've ever done or said to you."

"But _I_ should be apologizing, too," Black Ice argued, as a single tear rolled down her cheek, "I should've told you much sooner that you were going to be a father…but my fear clouded my judgment."

"Fear of what things used to be like between us," Eruptor added matter-of-factly, so he scooted forward and gently wrapped an arm over Black Ice's shoulder.

"Yeah…that…but I should've known better. You've changed _so_ much, Eruptor, and I don't know why I let my fear keep me from realizing that…can you forgive me?"

"I already have." Black Ice was finally convinced, so she turned around and embraced Eruptor, letting him kiss her forehead. "But seriously, I want you to know that I'm so sorry for all the pain I've caused you, which is why I think the best way to make up for it is to at least be there for you 'til the very end."

Black Ice gasped and smiled, this time, tears of joy welling up in her eyes, "Y-You mean-?"

"Yup. If you're ready ta be a parent, then so am I."

* * *

 **Well, he knows she's pregnant, but at least he's willing to step up to the challenge of being a father.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	13. Chapter 13 - We're Partners

Chapter 13 - We're Partners

Black Ice was up bright and early like the rest of the Skylanders, so that she could get ready for her teaching session with the cadets; her only problem is that she was still incredibly tired from all the kicking last night.

"Oh, jeez…you are just too active for Momma," Black Ice groaned when she entered the kitchen, "At least let me enjoy some coffee without upchucking it, please."

But as soon as the dragoness was going the press the button on the coffee maker, something warm and familiar gently wrapped its arms around her.

"Mornin', Sleepy Momma," Eruptor greeted with a goofy smile, "You ready for today?"

"Before I'm ready for _anything_ , I'll need my coffee—you know how I get these days without it." The light on the coffee maker lit up, and a steaming cup of coffee was ready. Black Ice carefully grabbed it and sipped, sighing in relief afterwards.

"Don't I know it. And speaking of getting ready, I've got a little request for ya—think you could take off the cloak?"

"What? But…everyone will see-."

"I know they'll see, but is that really such a bad thing? I mean, you're going ta be a mother, for cryin' out loud!"

"Exactly! What about Kaos and the Doom Raiders, or all those other bad guys that'll use this news to this advantage?" The dragoness had clearly gotten through to Eruptor, as his expression softened in realization. "We can't risk putting our family in danger."

"You're right, you're right…" Eruptor sighed in defeat, but then put on another smile, "Then at least just take it off while you're here at home. You can wear it as much as you want outside, but not in here. Deal?"

Black Ice chuckled, unable to hold back a smile as well, "Alright—but just for your sake, I guess I'll take it off for today's sessions. I need ta get it washed anyway."

* * *

So, with just a little reluctance, Black Ice took off her cloak and brought it to the laundry matt to be washed, and then went with Eruptor to meet the cadets at a peaceful little island.

The cadets all sat in the soft grass while their teachers sat high and mighty on separate rock pillars, doing some light stretching to keep inner peace.

"To achieve inner piece, Skylanders must trust each other as much as they trust themselves," Eruptor began calmly. But while he was busy meditating, Block Ice easily noticed the quiet bickering between Hex and Skull.

"C'mon, Skull, what is it? We're partners, you can tell me anything," Hex begged while trying to keep her familiar from flying away.

"She's right. Partners confiding their trust in each other is a _very_ important skill when it comes to being a successful team," Black Ice informed firmly, as she and Eruptor came down from the rock pillars.

"And Ice and I here know that better than anyone. So, Hex, Skull, tell us something you trust about each other," Eruptor added while bringing Black Ice close, and the two sat down with the rest of the cadets to listen.

"Ok, well…even if he doesn't always realize it, I have Skull's back, and I know that Skill has mine. Because as I continue my journey to become a Skylander, I know that he realizes how important-," Hex began with excitement, but then Skull finally shook himself from her grip.

" _Your_ journey to become a Skylander?! Helping you achieve your dreams?!" Skull snapped, "Well, ya know what, Hexy? I got dreams, too, and I can be a Skylander without you! So, that's exactly what I'm gonna do."

"What are you talking about?" Hex cried in confusion, as the floating Skull flew up.

"Who's there when you forget a spell in the heat of battle? Huh? Me, that's who! Which means I know a lot of spells! _A lot of 'em_! And this one will free me from being your familiar forever!"

"No, no, no, no! Skull, this is a very bad idea!"

But Hex's pleas fell upon deaf ears, as the sky darkened and clouds swirled when Skull began chanting an ancient spell dissolving his sphere and creating a sonic boom upon his freedom.

"It worked! I'm free!" Skull cackled as he fell to the ground without his sphere, but he didn't care, "Now, I can finally do what _I_ wanna do: Hang some drywall! But first up: Feel the wind on what used ta be my face."

But as Skull hopped away and whooped with great joy, the others felt chills ran up their spine when they heard an eerie moan behind them. They all turned to find the creepy sight of Hex floating a few feet into the air, her limbs and head going limp like a doll, and her eyes were now soulless pitch black orbs. But, unexpectedly, she didn't attack or even speak, and instead let out a scary shriek before flying away like a phantom.

"Uh, is that something she does a lot?" Eruptor questioned slowly, but then noticed Black Ice violently quivering in fear, "You ok, Babe?"

"I don't like those soulless eyes," Black Ice whimpered.

* * *

"Thank you for walkin' me out to a portal, Black Ice…i-it's just so creepy out tonight," Hugo quivered as he and Black Ice walked out of the academy to get to a portal that night.

"I know, it's totally creepier than usual," Black Ice added while lowering her head in fear.

"By the way, I've noticed you've removed a certain cloak of yours. What made you take it off, anyway?"

"Oh, Dear Old Dad couldn't stand seeing his future little munchkin hidden away anymore, so he convinced me to toss it away for a day."

"I'm proud of you and Eruptor, and I'll have you know that if you ever need some medical advice, or just someone ta talk to, my door's always open."

"Thanks, Hugo."

"No prob-AH!" Hugo was interrupted when he didn't look where he was going, and accidentally hit something so hard that his glasses fell off.

"Oh, Hex, it's you! Um, I-I haven't seen you since you left class so early. I-Is everything ok?" Black Ice stuttered in fear, unable to look away from Hex's ebony eyes.

"And what're you doing out here so eerily-I mean, late?" Hugo quickly asked.

"I'm giving out free hugs," Hex replied slowly with a raspy voice, extending her arms to welcome them in for a hug.

"Ya know, I'm not really much of a hugger right now since I don't know how hard you hug and…" Black Ice protested while backing away.

"That's ok! I'll hug for the both of us!" Hugo cheered and immediately headed into the cadet's open arms and hugging her tight. But as Hex pressed her hands onto Hugo, a transparent wave engulfed him until his eyes turned pitch black, too.

"Come here, Black Ice. Your precious children will love my hugs," Hex beckoned.

"They totally will," Hugo moaned as he turned and tried to hug the dragoness, but she was quick enough to take flight and dodge them.

"Hex! We've been looking everywhere for you! Are you ok?" Spyro called as he and the rest of the Skylanders appeared from a portal and sprinted to the scene.

"Oh, I feel great, Skylanders," Hex hissed while turning to face the team, tilting her head creepily like a doll again.

"Me, too," Hugo added with a low growl, "Now, who wants the squishiest hug you could ever ask for?"

"Me first! I love squishy things!" Pop Fizz replied with joy and quickly rushed to get a hug from Hugo.

"Pop, no!" Stealth Elf scolded, but it was too late. The same transparent wave washed over the blue gremlin, and his eyes had become dark and soulless.

"Oh, wow! Dude, you really need ta get in on this!" Pop Fizz informed with an even deeper growl.

"Don't come any closer! Hex is spreading this super-contagious virus, so _don't_ give her any hugs!" Black Ice warned while remaining safe and sound in mid-air.

"She didn't get you, too, did she?!" Eruptor called up to his lover with worry.

"No, we're fine! But that doesn't mean you guys shouldn't keep your guard up!"

"It's ok! We still outnumber them!" Stealth Elf pointed out and stood in a fighting stance, but that's when the rest of the cadets finally came out of hiding, and they were all turned into mindless, dark-eyed zombies as well.

"Do we outnumber 'em _now_ , Elf?" Eruptor asked sarcastically, as the zombies surrounded them and begged them to give them hugs.

"They're everywhere! What do we do?!" Stealth Elf cried out.

"Grab onto me, and I'll fly us to safety!" Spyro firmly instructed, as he took flight and slowly rose so that the others could form a chain. Unfortunately, the added weight made it impossibly for Spyro to lift them anymore, and Black Ice couldn't help either because she wasn't allowed to lift heavy weights at this point.

And soon, Cynder jumped up and grabbed Jet-Vac's legs, causing a chain reaction of the dark energy to travel up through Eruptor and then up to Stealth Elf, who was holding onto Spyro.

"Hey, look! Karate cats!" Spyro lied while pointing in a random direction, using Stealth Elf's weakness to finally get her to let go.

"I'm so sorry, Spyro! I-I just couldn't do anything with-!" Black Ice cried as she flew up to Spyro, her face covered in guilt.

"It's ok, Ice! You did what you had to to keep them safe! Now, c'mon, we gotta tell Eon about this!" Spyro cut her off firmly, and then grabbed her paw to help her fly faster to the academy.

And by the time the two dragons flew inside, Master Eon was skimming through bookshelves with none other than Skull, the source of the whole dilemma, by his side.

"Guys, everyone outside is infected with some sort of evil plague!" Spyro quickly informed.

"It got everyone…even Eruptor," Black Ice added breathlessly.

"You see? _This_ is what I was afraid of!" Eon snapped at Skull, "That incantation separating you and Hex allowed the dark side of her supernatural essence to overtake the good within. Now, she's a vessel of evil."

"That's the worse kind of vessel!" Spyro gasped.

"And now, Hex can spread that evil to anyone she touches. If it overtakes every cadet and Skylander, our enemies will use us in their quest to rule the Skylands!"

"Why would you pull such a reckless move, Skull?" Black Ice questioned with a glare.

"Yeah, not cool, bro!" Spyro added with just as much disappointment.

"I just…I thought Hex didn't need me anymore. She was doing all this studyin' and practicin' without me, that I thought she was gonna kick me ta the curb," Skull explained with regret and shame.

"Skull, you are integral to Hex's success, and vice versa. Even if your main duties are to do her bidding, there are so many other ways you make Hex a stronger Skylander—including your friendship," Eon explained firmly, smiling at the last part.

"Another vital part to a perfect team," Black Ice added with a gentle smile.

"That's just it. Hex is the only real friend I've got, and I didn't want her ta cut me loose first," Skull reluctantly informed.

"You mustn't beat yourself up—the other cadets will take care of that later—right now, you must find Hex and made things right to stop this madness!"

"How do I do that?"

With that, Eon looked around to find a certain book, and then he saw it straight ahead on another shelf, so he used his powers to pull the book out and open its pages to the correct one.

"This is my guide to fixing spells gone awry. Here's the one you need. Recite this reverse evil incantation to Hex. When she hears it, all of her evil essence will cease," Eon explained while holding the book up for Skull to read the spell.

"But how do I get close enough with all those evil cronies out there?" Skull questioned.

"I'll airdrop you in," Spyro pointed out and grabbed the skull in his claws, but that's when the doors to the academy were banged on, and the moans of the zombies outside could be heard.

"Hurry, Skylanders! We're running out of time," Eon fearfully pointed out while barricading the door.

So, the two dragons and the skull flew out through a window, and they were immediately greeted by the sight of their friends corrupted by dark magic.

"Ice, you need to hang back! I'll take care of this!" Spyro firmly demanded.

"No way! Those are my friends down there, too, and I'm not going to _not_ do anything about it," Black Ice protested with a hiss.

"That's a double negative," Skull pointed out.

"I don't care!" the dragoness snapped.

But while they were distracted by their bickering, they didn't realize they were low enough for the zombies to reach them, as Jet-Vac grabbed Spyro's wing and Eruptor snatched Black Ice's tail. The dragons were yanked down, and the evil energy was already starting to engulf them, and Skull was accidentally dropped.

It wasn't long before Spyro was corrupted, but when Black Ice closed her eyes tightly to brace herself, a bright while light that flashed through her pregnant belly, eradicating all of the evil energy.

"What? I'm…immune?" Black Ice pondered aloud, as more zombies gently hugged her, but the transparent coating was only rendered useless by the glowing light within.

"Maybe you should use that ta get me closer so I can save everyone!" Skull shouted impatiently, so Black Ice scooped him up and flew over to Hex. Once she dropped Skull, she stayed up in the air to protect herself again, but now Skull was in Hex's claws.

"Skull. _Just_ the head I was looking for," Hex hissed with an evil grin, and poor Skull's teeth chattered in terror, "I've been saving a very special hug just for you. Come to me, Skull. Join us in evil."

But as Hex held the skull upside down and forced him to look directly into her soulless eyes, Skull suddenly remembered the mission at hand, and started reciting the evil-reversing incantation at the top of his lungs.

As soon as the spell was finished, dark purple energy was flushed out of Hex as it flew from her eyes and disappeared into the night, and her eyes were white like they used to be.

"Skull? What's going on?" Hex questioned, her voice no longer a deep rasp.

"I'll explain later! Right now, you and me gotta take care of each other and do what Skylanders do best: Save the world from evil! Back-to-back! Reverse-evil blast at twelve o'clock!" Skull instructed and hopped closer to Hex.

Hex immediately followed her familiar's instructions, and shot a ray of light towards Pop Fizz, getting rid of all of the evil in his body. The two kept shouting clock positions at each other, and Hex continued to rid the cadets and Skylanders of the evil she gave them.

And soon, every one of the zombies were cured and rid of darkness, but they were all dazed and confused.

"Whoa…what just happened?" Eruptor groaned while rubbing his head.

"Not sure…but I think there was an obscene amount of hugging involved," Stealth Elf pointed out with a shudder.

"C'mon, guys. I'll explain everything on the way home," Spyro announced and lead the cadets and Skylanders back home.

"You know, Hex and Skull taught me an important lesson," Black Ice began softly when she caught up to Eruptor, "We're partners, as Skylanders _and_ as family…and I don't know what I'd do if something ever happened to either of us."

"Hey, don't think like that. It'll never happen, I promise. I was an idiot for not realizing it when we first met, but I always wanna be there for you—which is why I wanted to give you this."

Eruptor stepped in front of Black Ice, stopping her in her tracks while grabbing out a large golden band with a beautiful triangular ruby crest. The dragoness was at a loss for words when the best and somehow worse thoughts filled her head, and her wide eyes darted between the jewelry and Eruptor's loving eyes.

"E-Eruptor…I-I…I love you with all my heart, but…I don't think I'm ready for-."

"I know. This is just a promise band; though, my dad _did_ propose to my mom with it, as did my granddad with my grandma, and so on and so on. I told my parents about you while I was on Thankstaking break, and that's when they gave this to me. But it's perfectly fine if you're not ready for marriage yet Black Ice…and to be honest, I'm not either." Black Ice couldn't help but smile and blush when Eruptor nervously smiled himself. "But just for future reference, I _will_ ask you one day."

"And I'll say yes one day," Black Ice whispered with love, and straightened her neck and lifted her chin to let Eruptor place the golden band around her neck. Once the band was on, it rested so perfectly around her neck, it was as if she was always meant to wear it.

"It's so beautiful. Thank you, Eruptor," Black Ice breathed in awe, embracing her lover in a big hug, and then pulling him in for a passionate kiss, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Ice," Eruptor added softly and hugged back.

* * *

 **Quick and important note: I won't be updating as much(most likely one chapter per month)until season 3 comes out, which I think is next February, because what happens in season 3 will heavily impact what happens in season 2, and vice versa.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	14. Chapter 14 - Back Pains

Chapter 14 - Back Pains

On such a peaceful and beautiful morning, the Skylanders didn't want to pass up an opportunity like this to relax, so they all slept in a little and eventually grouped together in the kitchen for brunch.

Stealth Elf was having some coffee while reading the daily news, Spyro was enjoying huge stack of fresh pancakes, Eruptor and Black Ice were simply enjoying each other's company with some coffee, and Jet-Vac was preparing to reward himself with a delicious birdseed muffin. In fact, they were all so busy pleasuring themselves that they failed to notice a certain alchemist was missing…

"Oh, the sunflower seed muffin!" Jet-Vac sighed contentedly after taking a big whiff of the muffin, "Is there any more delectable creation in this world than a fluffy, sweet little bread morsel, served piping hot, and stuffed full of birdseed?"

"Yes," Black Ice informed sarcastically.

"Without listing them, which would take hours, the answer is yes," Spyro simply added.

"Think fast! Or should I say, _breakfast_?!" Pop Fizz shouted in excitement when he burst into the kitchen, holding up two beakers of brand now potions. The blue gremlin then hopped up onto the table and started dropping samples of his potions onto everyone's breakfast, much to their dismay.

"I can't have my BFFs fighting on a boring stomach, so I'm adding a little potion pizzazz ta start your day!"

Pop Fizz was determined when he finally noticed Jet-Vac's muffin, which he realized he forgot to test his potion on. And the second Jet-Vac saw pop Fizz's determined glare, he pulled his precious dessert back in defense, "Stay back! My muffin is perfect as is!"

But try as the older Skylander might, he failed to outrun Pop Fizz when he tried to dash out of the kitchen, and the said gremlin lunged at him and successfully managed to pour the random potion onto his muffin. But even though he knew he was defeated, Jet-Vac was confused when nothing happened at first.

"Wait, what?" Jet-Vac questioned, closely examining the dessert before it suddenly started to react to the potion and literally bounce off the walls.

"Oh, right! _That's_ the potion that makes things ricochet off walls! What a classic!" Pop Fizz cheered in realization, and his smile grew even more when the muffin crashed through a window and out into the front lawn.

"B-But…my muffin," Jet-Vac whimpered.

Just then, Pop Fizz appeared out in the front lawn, and he was very surprised to see the broken window, "Whoa, what happened to the window?"

" _You_ broke it when you doused Jet-Vac's muffin!" Stealth Elf pointed out in annoyance.

"Hey, that muffin acted alone, and we all know it! Well, catch ya later!"

The alchemist turned to leave at that, but Jet-Vac was persistent, "And you _also_ remember that we have a team meeting at the academy later, right?"

Pop Fizz froze in his tracks, "Uh, duh! Got it locked down in the ol' brain cage! …Hey, someone left a muffin out here!"

As if to make Jet-Vac's day even worse, Pop Fizz finally caught his bouncing muffin and gladly wolfed it down and continued on to do what ever random things while unnoticeably dropping some beakers.

"My muffin," Jet-Vac cried once more.

"Oh, don't worry, you can still get it back—in a couple hours," Black Ice reassured jokingly, making Jet-Vac grimace, "Oh, which reminds me! Could you tell Eon I won't be at the team meeting?"

"Sure," Spyro replied.

"Wait, where're you going?" Eruptor quickly asked.

"Just the Soulless Cycle. I'm behind on my exercises, and they offer the cheapest memberships."

"Alright, but you better not come back with a single scratch!"

"I'll be fine, Big Daddy." The pregnant dragoness couldn't help but giggle and gently kissed the lava monster's forehead before throwing on her cloak and heading out the door. "Seriously, though, you've gotta tone it down with the worrying."

"I'll tone it down when I'm a pile of dust," Eruptor chuckled sarcastically.

* * *

Nearly forty five minutes later, the rest of the Skylanders were still attending the team meeting at the academy. But just when Master Eon was about to end the meeting, the phone on his desk rang urgently and he picked it up.

"Skylander Academy, this is Master Eon speaking."

"Send the Skylanders, please!" a female cried on the other end.

"What's wrong, Ma'am?!" Eon questioned with great concern.

"It's Fisticuffs! He's attacking the Soulless Cycle and its members! They're might be a fatality, too, but we're not sure!"

"I'll send help right away!" Eon immediately hung up and turned to his core Skylander team. "Fisticuffs has laid siege on Soulless Cycle! Get there and stop him at once, Skylanders!"

"No…Black Ice is there!" Eruptor quivered in remembrance, making the others realize how dire the situation truly was.

* * *

Not too long before the manager of Soulless Cycle made a distress call, Black Ice had just finished a much-needed workout and was ready to sign out at the front desk.

"You know, um…" the manger quickly began and stopped Black Ice from writing her name on the sign in/out sheet, "We have discounts for our _expecting_ customers. All you have to do is buy the package for your account."

"I don't know…seems a little excessive," Black Ice admitted with a shake of her head, glancing down and finally signing her name.

"They always were!" a gruff voice boomed upon impact of a large fist being slammed on the desk, and the fist belonged to none other than the infamous villain, Fisticuffs, "I told you, lady, I canceled my account here, so stop chargin' me!"

"Stand down, Fisticuffs!" Black Ice warned and tried to push him away, but her efforts only resulted in the said wooden creature violently knocking her into a wall.

"I ain't gonna listen to a pathetic excuse for a Skylander _like you_ ," Fisticuffs growled while approaching the weakened dragoness, "So, either stay outta my way, or risk your life just ta get involved in something that ain't even your business!"

With that, Fisticuffs averted his attention back to the manager, but not before she had the time to make a quick call for help. Just when she seemed to finish the phone call, Fisticuffs grabbed her neck and held her in a vice-like grip, draining her of air and consciousness.

He brought her face closer to his own, her eyes just barely meeting his cold glare, "This is the last time I'm gonna say it—stop chargin' me for a gym I ain't usin'."

"HALT!"

Much to Fisticuffs' dismay, the core Skylander team suddenly burst into the building and got into fighting positions. But when an idea came to mind, Fisticuffs grinned maniacally and dropped the female Mabu.

"You aren't getting out of this, Fisticuffs!" Stealth Elf warned and unsheathed her blades.

"Oh, but you haven't heard my side of the story yet. This idiot gym's staff keeps chargin' my credit card for an account I canceled a while ago, and that's just not fair," Fisticuffs explained and started walking in a slow and prideful stride, "But aside from that, I think we need ta discuss the _real_ problem here."

It wasn't until it was too late that the Skylanders noticed Black Ice's heaving body on the other side of the room, and Fisticuffs launched one of his grappling hook fists to grab her and pull her close.

"I just want my freedom, and you just want everyone safe. So, let's see if we can-."

"Let her go!" Eruptor boomed and hastily let loose a barrage of fireballs to attack, but Fisticuffs was far too quick.

"This little dragon's important ta you, isn't she?" Fisticuffs chuckled darkly, tightening her grip and making a half-conscious Black Ice cry in pain.

"I said STOP!"

Without warning, Eruptor created a giant ball of white fire between both fists and threw it at the wooden villain. And unable to act fast enough this time, Fisticuffs received most damage from the intense heat, and his wooden body now lay charred and twitching from the pain, some holes even eternally burnt right into him.

Black Ice, though, was a bit more fortunate, but not by much; her cloak was burned and covered in ash on one side, and her right wing suffered the same fate.

"Ice, can you hear me? Say something!" Stealth Elf called while rushing to her friend's aid, lifting her head up to help her focus.

"M-My back…I can't…" was all Black Ice could say, as she sobbed uncontrollably and went limp.

"Tell me what's wrong, Sweetheart! Tell me!" Eruptor begged and joined Stealth Elf in checking on the dragoness.

"I think her back may be broken! We need to get her to the hospital!" Stealth Elf quickly informed.

"You're the fastest, you take her! Spyro, go with her just in case!"

"And what about me, Eruptor?" Jet-Vac questioned just after Stealth Elf teleported out of the building with Black Ice and Spyro flew to follow.

"You're gonna take Fisticuffs ta Cloudcracker Prison—when I'm done with him." The angry lava monster then cracked his neck and glared at Fisticuffs once more, approaching him before picking him up and burning him.

Arousing Eruptor's determination for justice, Fisticuffs groaned in pain when he was being burned once more, "Oh, I'm sorry, does that hurt, Fisticuffs? Well, maybe you should'a thought of that pain when you hurt my girl!"

Eruptor once again took everyone by surprise by lashing out, and threw Fisticuffs back on the ground before pressing down on him as hard as he could; his fists glowed like white fire, as they effortlessly burned giant holes into Fisticuffs' back.

Jet-Vac knew this was enough and tried to stop Eruptor, but his strength and Vac-Gun proved useless when a wall of raging fire around him defied both. But just before all hope seemed lost for the wooden villain, a cloud of dark blue smoke suddenly exploded with the sound of glass shattering, and its dust sprinkled all over the lava monster.

"What's happening?! Why can't I move?!" Eruptor snapped when he felt his limbs quickly grow weaker, and his fire powers failed while he fell helplessly onto the ground like a turtle.

"It's a paralysis potion, but it's only temporary," Pop Fizz explained, taking Eruptor by great surprise with his sudden appearance. But that didn't falter his anger.

"Why did you stop me?"

"Because you were going too far. You've brought Fisticuffs to justice, but that doesn't mean you can kill him," Jet-Vac informed firmly, "And until you calm down, I'm afraid we'll have to keep you immobilized like this."

"You can't do that!"

"I'm sorry, Eruptor, but you brought this on yourself."

"W-What about Ice?! You've gotta lemme see her! She needs me!"

"You'll see her again soon, I promise. I also promise that we'll do everything in our power to ensure that she's ok. You can help, too, but only when you've come to your senses."

Knowing he was literally able to do nothing, Eruptor sighed and rolled his eyes in defeat, "Fine…"

Just then, Fisticuffs started to stir and turned his head over to face Eruptor. But he immediately regretted it when he saw the said lava monster's glare again.

"I swear, if Black Ice dies…so do you," Eruptor warned with a low growl.

Meanwhile, Spyro and Stealth Elf were able to get their ailing friend to the hospital quickly, but they still had the smallest feeling of doubt that they weren't fast enough. It wasn't long before Jet-Vac and Pop Fizz ran into the hospital breathlessly, but Eruptor was nowhere to be seen.

"How's Ice? Is she ok?" Pop Fizz was the first to ask.

"We don't know yet. The doctors took her straight to the ER, but…" Spyro replied with worry.

"They haven't told us anything since," Stealth Elf reluctantly continued.

But as if she jinxed it, a doctor suddenly walked through the doors to the ER section, and he instantly approached the Skylanders.

"You're with Black Ice, correct?" he questioned.

"Yes, Sir," Jet-Vac kindly informed.

"She'll live, right, Doctor?" Stealth Elf cut in with high hopes.

The whole group was immediately struck with dread when the doctor sighed and gave a sorrowful look, "We've succeeded in keeping her stable for now—but we can't say the same for her unborn children."

"Children? She's having more than one?" Spyro gasped.

"She might not at this point. Whatever happened to her, caused a lot of internal damage, and her womb seems to have absorbed most of it." Once again, the Mabu sighed and shook his head. "She'll be lucky if even _one_ survives."

"Well, then, use your medical training and science to fix her!" Jet-Vac demanded.

"I'm sorry, but our help won't be that beneficial!" the doctor reluctantly infirmed, and then sighed in sorrow, "We don't get many dragon patients, so our knowledge of them is very limited—and I'm afraid we won't be able to fix the problem concerning her unborn children."

Silence fell upon the Skylanders once more, and it was even more painful than before.

"How're we gonna tell Ice and Eruptor?" Spyro asked under his breath.

"You mean, _if_ we tell them," Jet-Vac corrected.

"What?" Stealth Elf, Spyro, and Pop Fizz spoke in unison.

"The doctors will likely inform her, anyway. And besides, would _you_ want to carry the burden of telling a mother that her children are probably already dead?"

The others never spoke a word.

"That's what I thought," Jet-Vac stated flatly.

"But we at least have to be there for her," Stealth Elf protested.

"Of course we will."

"Please, Doc, you gotta let us see her," Spyro demanded desperately.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think-."

"Just for a minute."

The male Mabu knew he would regret it, but he sighed and shook his head, "Alright—follow me."

Not thinking twice, the Skylanders took up the doctor's offer and followed him into the ER section.

"I must warn you, she will be quite woozy from the pain killers we gave her, so take it slow. Oh, and the affects of the medicine will also put her to sleep momentarily."

"Thank you, Doctor," Stealth Elf stated firmly yet softly, earning a smile from the medical Mabu, "Oh, and one more thing, Doc. Whatever you do, please, don't tell Black Ice what you found out. The last thing she needs is a broken heart, and…w-we'll find a way to break it to her."

"As you wish."

They finally reached Black Ice's room at that, and the doctor held the door open for them before closing it behind them to leave them alone with the patient. And lying back in a slightly tilted, white bed was none other than Black Ice, her right wing and other burns all bandaged up and her bloated torso hidden underneath a thick blanket.

She slowly turned her head over and smiled when she saw her teammates, "Hi, Guys."

"How do you feel?" Spyro whispered in concern.

"Stiff."

"Well, don't worry. You're in good hands here," Stealth Elf quickly reassured.

"That being said, the drugs should be kicking in soon, and she'll be out like a light. So, if you would…" the doctor cut in while referring to the door. With no difficulty, the Skylanders all walked out of the room as Black Ice quickly grew more drowsy. But then…

"Wait…"

Stealth Elf was the only one to stop and look back, as Black Ice tried her best to keep her eyes open, "Where's…Eruptor?"

"He…had a little trouble earlier. But he'll visit soon, I promise!" Stealth Elf reassured, and quickly left before the dragoness could utter another word; not that it mattered because she finally succumbed to the medicine to make her rest.

"I can't believe I just lied to my best friend," the ninja muttered under her breath in shame.

"You didn't lie. You simply kept a secret—and sometimes secrets are best kept just that," Jet-Vac protested firmly, and then placed a reassuring hand on Stealth Elf's shoulder, "You did the right thing."

"Then why does it feel so wrong?"

"Well, you know what they say!" Pop Fizz piped up with a smile, and everyone looked at him expectantly but never got an answer.

"And that is…?" Spyro urged.

"I can't remember. I really gotta work on the memory regeneration potion," Pop Fizz admitted.

"Wait, that's it! Pop Fizz, remember when you made a potion to fix Ice's wing a while back?" Stealth Elf began with excitement.

"Yeah," Pop Fizz replied slowly, but realization soon hit him in the face, "Oh, yeah! I could totally make another potion ta fix her again."

"Perfect! Get to work on that potion immediately! And remember, not a word of this to Eruptor or Black Ice." The boys all nodded and saluted to Stealth Elf in agreement. But then all of a sudden, the silence was interrupted by a message via Master Eon's giant floating head.

"Skylanders! There's been a robbery at the Wa-Mabu Bank! Report to the scene at once!" Eon instructed before his head disappeared. Reluctantly putting aside family matters, the rest of the Skylanders rushed to the specific bank Eon mentioned, and were surprised to find Eruptor waiting for them there.

"Finally! How's Ice?! Is she ok?! Did she make it?!" the lava monster shouted with worry.

"She's perfectly fine, Mate. But right now, we have a crime to investigate," Jet-Vac explained firmly.

"Describe the robber for us, Sir," Stealth Elf instructed the frightful manager standing outside.

"He was a masked man…" the Mabu began.

"Hmmm…this guy was a total pro," Pop Fizz admitted.

"Who was also small of stature, and spoke in a strange voice. A _very_ strange voice."

"Boy, he sounds like a real character!"

"And he used a potion, ya know, to make the coins rise from the vault…a-and march right out of the bank along with him!"

As the manager continued, each of the Skylanders all shared suspicious looks when a certain little gremlin fellow teammate came to mind. And speak of the devil, Pop Fizz himself wasn't following, especially when the others all stared at him accusingly.

"Whoa, I know what you're all thinking—that _I_ should totally create a potion that makes stuff march around, too! Can do!"

But even the evidence seemed too good to be true, the Skylanders were still suspicious enough to bring Pop Fizz back to the academy to tell Master Eon the bad news.

"You guys really think I did this? I don't even I did this," Pop Fizz argued.

"But are you certain you didn't do it, Pop?" Jet-Vac inquired.

"Yes!" Pop Fizz quickly replied, but then darted around while pondering, "Mmm…no…n-not entirely! Look, I know I do a lot of crazy things, but I'm not a bad guy! And robbing this bank is a bad thing, so…I don't think so?"

"Skylanders, I'm inclined to believe that this is all some sort of misunderstanding. So, I decree that until such time when there is _any real_ evidence against Pop, no one shall pass judgment," Master Eon protested sternly.

"We've got evidence!" the voice of fellow Skylander Sprocket called from across the yard, as she and Kaboom approached.

"Ja! It is one of Pop's beakers, with blue hairs on the outsides," Kaboom added and grabbed out a beaker.

"We found it at the crime scene. And by using my tech-tacular wrench, I was able to deduce that the blue hair belongs to…Pop Fizz," Sprocket explained reluctantly while raising and spinning her wrench, and it took a moment to stop before landing on the said blue gremlin.

Everyone was truly taken aback, but none were more surprised than Eon himself, "I…I am truly sorry, Pop Fizz, but it seems that the time pass judgment is nigh—you are under arrest for magically-armed robbery. Skylanders, take him away."

Kaboom and Sprocket were the only ones brave enough to take away a true friend such as Pop Fizz, and even Eon had to step away to shed a tear from the horrible event.

And after they left, Eruptor left soon afterwards in different direction.

"Where are you going?" Jet-Vac demanded.

"Ta see the beloved mom of my kids. Where else?" Eruptor replied grimly, "You didn't tell me a thing about her, so can you blame me?"

"Not at all. If anyone deserves to see her, it's you," Stealth Elf replied softly, and Eruptor nodded thankfully before continuing on.

"This is really bad. What about Black Ice?" Spyro whispered with fret, and Stealth Elf and Jet-Vac huddled in to discuss the pressing matter.

"Spyro's right. Without Pop's potions, Ice may never make a full recovery…and neither will her unborn children," Stealth Elf added in realization.

"What're we gonna do?" Spyro questioned.

"The only thing we _can_ do right now: We've got to prove that Pop Fizz is innocent," Jet-Vac replied.

* * *

There was a terrible pain in her back, and all she could think about was getting back to Eruptor and the others, considering their last encounter with Fisticuffs.

But when Black Ice finally opened her eyes, she looked up to find a pale ceiling above, and meekly turned her head to see the rest of the hospital room had been left in ruins.

 _What happened?_ Black Ice pondered while sitting up, "Hello?"

But no responses came. In fact, the whole building was dead silent, and the dragoness couldn't shake the eerie feeling of being completely alone. She gathered the strength to finally climb out of bed, but slipped when she felt a vaguely familiar pain. She looked over to find that her left wing was broken…just like it had been a while back, when she and Eruptor…

Black Ice shook her head in an attempt to avoid finishing that thought, and limped into the bathroom, closing the door to look into the full-body mirror on the other side. But she was horrified.

Her once plump torso was completely thin again, and all of her unborn children were gone. But she couldn't understand how that was possible. She hadn't given birth yet!

Suddenly, Black Ice heard a scuffle outside and bolted out of the bathroom, just in time to see the glimpse of a shadow running out of the room. So, the dragoness sprinted after the shadow and called out for it, but it never stopped and just kept running down the hall.

Black Ice chased the shadowy figure all the way outside the hospital until it stopped in the front yard on a portal pad, and it just sat there and stared blankly at her. She crept closer and got a better look, and she was shocked to find that it was a lava monster just like Eruptor…but their skin was as dark as ash, and their eyes glimmered like amethysts.

"Eruptor?" Black Ice asked and walked closer.

The dark lava monster only closed their eyes and shook their head, the portal finally activating and they disappeared. Black Ice shouted in desperation and jumped onto the portal, and suddenly found herself in a different location as well. But she would never know if this was where the lava monster went, too.

She took another look at her surroundings and finally figured out where she was, "The Falling Forest?"

"Be careful…" a whisper warned as it traveled with the wind.

"What? Who's there? Wh-Who are you?" Black Ice questioned in fear, nervously glancing around but could find no one.

"A friend…be heedful of what comes next…darkness awaits…and it still remembers you…"

Just then, the dragoness felt a chill run up her spine, and she turned back when she heard a loud roar coming from a mass of shadows fast approaching.

 **Meanwhile…**

"Well, you may have caught us green-handed…"

"Good one, Chompy!"

"But we ain't goin' nowheres without a fight!"

The Skylanders were dumbfounded when a sonic boom of green energy pulsed from Chompy Mage's hand, and spread all throughout the Falling Forest. And before long, an approaching and gnarly growling could be heard.

"What is that?" Stealth Elf asked while unsheathing her blades.

"Ugh…Chompies," Jet-Vac replied with a groan.

"What'cha gonna do now, SkyUglies?" Chompy Mage taunted.

Just then, everyone was taken by complete surprise when a black and white blur came running into them and crashed into Eruptor, knocking the lava monster onto his back in surprise.

"Black Ice?!" Eruptor exclaimed when he saw that the one who bumped into him was, indeed, Black Ice…but something was wrong; she acted as if she couldn't see anyone and just looked right through them, and silver flames were emitting from the edges of her glowing green eyes.

"No, get away from me! Please!" Black Ice screamed and jumped off of Eruptor, backing up into a boulder as the Chompies grew closer.

"What's wrong?! Speak ta me!" Eruptor pleaded and fended off the Chompies, but all he could see in his lover's eyes was fear.

"If we're gonna save her, we've gotta save ourselves first!" Spyro quickly pointed out.

"And I got _just_ the tool for the job," Sprocket mused with a smirk, pulling her goggles over her eyes and leaping into the air while twirling her wrench. She then came back down with a loud boom, and sent every last Chompy flying across the forest with an electric pulse, but it left the Skylanders unscathed.

"Yup, that was neat," Jet-Vac admitted while nodding.

"We can compliment Sprocket later! Right now, we've gotta help Ice!" Eruptor protested and turned back towards the said dragoness, "Ice, if you can hear me, please, give me a sign!"

* * *

 **Black Ice's mindscape…**

Just when all hope seemed loss and the shadows wouldn't cease, a yellow flash swept the colorless and barren land, evaporating the darkness with a loud zap.

"W-What…happened?"

"Your friends are here…"

"They are? Where?!"

"You'll never find them here…after all…you're asleep…"

Just as the whisper finished its sentence, a mighty force suddenly started lifting Black Ice off the ground, pulling her up into a growing black hole in the sky.

"No…nooo!" she screamed at the top of her lungs while trying to escape, but to no avail. The darkness once again tried to pull her in, and it wasn't long until everything was black, empty, and silent.

* * *

"Black Ice…Black Ice…BLACK ICE!"

She woke with a gasp, shooting up in fright and breathing heavily. And even though it seemed very unlikely for dragons to sweat, a few beads on forehead and neck were quite visible.

Black Ice suddenly realized that the voice she had just heard was Eruptor's, and she looked around to find that she wasn't alone in the living room of their house. The whole Skylander team, including Master Eon and Hugo, were staring at her in confusion and concern.

"Are you ok? Can you hear me? Can you even see me?" Eruptor spoke rapidly and grabbed Black Ice's shoulders, making her look directly in his eyes.

"Y-Yes, I can see you! …Why wouldn't I?"

"You were just in the Falling Forest, right?" Stealth Elf began, Black Ice nodded, "Well, you ran right passed us—and you looked right through us."

"What? How?"

"I sensed it was some dark magic that placed you under a minor sleeping curse, which caused you to sleep walk," Eon explained, "But with my help and Pop's potions, we've seemed to push back the darkness and fully revive you."

"Yeah, you're back should be good as new!" Pop Fizz added with a thumbs up, and Black Ice finally noticed the pain in her back really was gone, as well as the pain in her wing. She stretched the massive limb out to test it, and it felt as if Pop's potion had worked its magic on it, too.

But then, Black Ice remembered the most important thing of all: Her children; she quickly looked down and found that her baby bump was still as fragile and plump as before. She chuckled when she thought she looked ready to burst.

Soon, a somber thought returned and Black Ice's smile faltered, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help, Guys. And I'm especially sorry if I made you all worried sick after what happened with Fisticuffs, but I promise I feel just fine now."

"You'd better be sorry!" Eruptor snapped but suddenly started sobbing quietly and pulled her into a hug, "You almost gave me a heart attack…"

"Calm down, ya big lug," Black Ice sighed in content, smiling and hugging back, thanking her lucky stars that her family was all here.

* * *

 **Whoo, that took waaaaaay too long! Sorry!**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD. bye-bye!**


	15. Chapter 15 - It's so Fluffy!

**This chapter is probably the fluffiest and gooiest so far, hence the title. But don't worry, there are some suggestive parts, too;)**

* * *

Chapter 15 - It's so Fluffy!

Black Ice's nose was completely buried in the old book of dragons that Spyro took from Eon's Relic Room, and she was so enticed that she sat up in bed late one night with a little reading light overhead; though, a certain lava monster lying next to her wasn't very amused with the light, and rolled over and groggily mumbled at his lover.

"What're you doing?" Eruptor yawned, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"A little reading, and I think you'll like what I've found out. A dragoness' average gestation period is about two months," Black Ice informed with a big smile, grabbing Eruptor's arm and gently shaking it, "It's any day now."

This was enough to get Eruptor to open his eyes, and boy, were they wide with excitement, "Really? …Wait a minute…dragons lay eggs, right?"

"Yes, Silly."

"Great. That just means there's be more waiting," Eruptor sighed, his expression a sad one, "How long do I have ta wait to see the sweet and beautiful faces of my own kids?"

"Don't worry. They hatch after about three weeks," Black Ice added and closed the book, setting on the nightstand before lying down, her back facing Eruptor, and grabbing his hand, "C'mere."

With that, she carefully guided his arm over her, and laid it on her fragile baby bump, "If you're patient enough, you'll feel them move…"

Eruptor took Black Ice for her word and waited for a good moment or two, but it was all worth it when he swore he felt the faintest of movement in her belly. Not a minute later, Black Ice heard a sniffle.

"Are you crying?" she chuckled.

"No…" Eruptor denied meekly, but then a tear fell, "Ok, maybe a little."

* * *

The next morning, Black Ice slept in, as usual, and was surprised to find that Eruptor had actually gotten up before her; she eventually dragged herself out of a bed at about 11AM.

"I heard 'bananas flambé'!" Eruptor's voice boomed from the kitchen, making Black Ice smirk at her lover's short temper as she walked inside.

"Dude, I asked for 'bananas Bombay'," Pop Fizz argued, as he shooed away a pan of flaming bananas that Eruptor had prepared, much to his dismay.

"What the heck is that?! No one has _ever_ heard of 'bananas Bombay'!"

Pop's eyes squinted as he pondered and tapped his chin with a finger, "Does 'bandanas Pompeii' ring a bell?"

"This is literally the dumbest conversation we've ever had!" Stealth Elf snapped while teleporting between the two and snatched away the pan, throwing away the flaming bananas afterwards, "Eruptor, just make whatever so that we can at least have something to fuel our battle practice, ok?"

"Well, in that case, think you could make me some pancakes topped with ice cream, Hon?" Black Ice cooed with puppy eyes.

"I don't think so!" Jet-Vac protested and finally came into the kitchen, a stern look on his face, "Elf's right, it's quite the honor that Master Eon has decided he's going to train with us. But if he wants to in tip-top form, it's imperative we bring _our_ proverbial A-game, too—which means going easy on the sweets, Ice."

"Fine," the said dragoness sighed in defeated.

"We have to view Eon as an equal in combat," Jet-Vac continued, "He expects nothing less, Skylanders."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not holdin' back _anything_ ," Spyro boasted with a cheesy grin.

"Ok, you've had that 'I'm gonna do something stupid' look on your face all morning. What gives?" Stealth Elf chuckled with air quotes.

"Nothing—I'm just fired up ta help Eon be all he can be," Spyro lied.

But out of nowhere, Eon's giant and ghostly head appeared in the kitchen, "Skylanders, unite—in your front yard, please."

So, without wasting time, the whole team headed outside to meet Master Eon, and he had been nervously pacing while waiting for them.

"Skylanders, today, I fought an Arkeyan Robot seeking to harm a helpless Mabu, but my magic-fighting skills were not up to snuff and I—lost," Eon explained in great shame, and the others held their breath, "It's ok. You can gasp."

With that, they didn't hold back and all let out a bewildered gasp.

"In light of this defeat…" Eon began again, but was cut off by a soft cough, "I realized I have not practiced when I preach to you. I forgot that I, too, must constantly strive to improve my skills like all of you. we must remain ever vigilant and-ah…ah…on our toes. This includes even the most seasoned of waR-ah…AH-CHOO…warriors."

"Uh, Master Eon, are you sure you're ok? 'Cause it sounds like you're-."

"I'm not getting sick!" Eruptor's statement was immediately interrupted by a stubborn Eon, which took the others by surprise.

"I dunno. You sure it's not that nasty flu of darkness again?" Pop Fizz suggested.

"I'm sure it's merely a tickle in my throat. And if it were a teeny-weeny-teensy-weensy cold, it wouldn't stop me from going about my day. Sharpening my powers is too important. Now, we must go to the practice arena at once, and begin our-."

But before Eon could finish denying them yet again, a loud whir interrupted him, followed by a thick orange force field coming down and surrounding the entire island.

"What the what?!" Spyro exclaimed, flying up to the upper parts of the force field to see if there was a way out, but to no avail.

"It's my recurring zoo nightmare," Jet-Vac whimpered under his breath.

"I like bubbles!" Pop Fizz happily pointed out.

After moments of nothing else happening, Black Ice finally broke the silence, "Well, this is just a tragic event waiting to be remade into a horror movie."

Just then, Eon's phone started to ring and he hastily answered it to find that it was Skylander Ka-Boom, "Master Eon, the Skylands Contagious Diseases Agency has detected a highly contagious virus on the team's isle. So, you are all stuck there until this passes."

"Wait, we're being quarantined?" Spyro questioned.

"Ja! Ok, bye-bye." With that, Ka-Boom hung up and left the Skylanders and old wizard alone to deal with a supposedly deadly illness.

"This is most distressing, indeed. I wonder which one of you gave me this," Eon pondered aloud.

"You think one of _us_ gave you that virus?" Black Ice argued in disbelief.

"I was totally fine until I arrived, and I never get sick." They all gave Eon deadpan looks at that statement. "Ok, yes, fine! There was that darkness thing, but that was different! I'm impervious to your average everyday cold—but it seems that because of me, we're all stuck inside this dome until it passes."

"I'm already getting' cabin fever! I can't take it anymore!" Pop Fizz suddenly blurted out in utter terror, sprinting to the edge of the island to jump off in an attempt to escape, but he only hit the force field and slid all the way down to the bottom of the bubble.

* * *

The Skylanders knew this day wasn't going to go on without a hitch, for being stuck with a somewhat childish old man with the cold wasn't easy to handle. And as Eon occupied himself, the team gathered in the living room to discuss what to do.

"Pop, can't you just concoct some medicine to treat him?" Jet-Vac suggested.

"Medi-what?" Pop Fizz repeated in confusion.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm gonna take advantage of Eon being stuck here with us, so I can finally find out everything he knows about dragons," Spyro explained with a cocky smile, but Stealth Elf yanked his tail.

"You shouldn't risk getting sick just to pester him about that," Stealth Elf protested.

"Elf's right, we should all avoid Eon at all costs," Eruptor added in agreement.

"But we need ta get away from him without him noticing. How do we do that?" Pop Fizz pondered aloud.

"We need a distraction. Just leave that to me," Stealth Elf replied and teleported over to Eon with a friendly smile; she then started to explain to him how the Skylands will need another back up team to protect the realm while they're trapped. And with that, Eon agreed and called Hugo to assemble the cadets.

"I dunno, this seems kinda rude," Black Ice whispered in shame.

"You can feel sorry for the old man when you're far, far away from him," Eruptor muttered back and suddenly swept her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style while carefully and quietly following the others upstairs.

Sadly, it wasn't until Master Eon was finished with his phone call that he finally noticed he was all alone, "I should go find them…I hate being sick alone."

So, they all decided to hide out in Spyro's room, being the largest in the whole house, and quietly occupied themselves to avoid any contact with Eon. But just when they thought they could start to breath, they heard Eon's voice on the other side of the closed door.

"Skylanders? Yoo-hoo! Where are you?" Eon called.

"It's Eon," Eruptor whimpered.

"Really? I thought it was the pizza guy," Black Ice hissed sarcastically.

"We need to hide," Jet-Vac quietly yet frantically pointed out, as Eon's footsteps grew closer and closer.

"Up there!" Stealth Elf whisper-shouted, pointing up at some support beams near the skylight.

Soon, Eon opened the door but found that the room was completely vacant, "I could've sworn I just heard them in here."

Little did the wizard know that they were all hiding up in the support beams, and poor Eruptor was the one trying to hold everyone up. And the longer the said lava monster was trying to hold them, the sooner a large drop of lava sweat beaded off his forehead. The heated sweat would've fallen right onto Eon's head if Black Ice hadn't quickly caught it was a claw, but she had to hold back a cry in pain as it started to burn her.

Luckily, though, Eon gave up and finally left while politely closing the door behind him, letting the others sigh in great relief; it was also when Eruptor slipped and they all tumbled down onto each other.

"You ok?" Eruptor asked Black Ice out of great concern, "Oh, even when I'm not trying to hurt you, I _still_ do! What kind of father-to-be am I?"

"Quit your whining, or else Eon's gonna hear us!" Black Ice snapped, but eventually sighed and helped the lava monster onto his feet, "Sorry. It's just a minor burn, nothing a little ice can't fix."

As if to prove her point, Black Ice conjured a small chunk of ice and placed it over her burn, "See? All better…ugh…I think…"

"You look a little green in the face," Spyro stated while pointing at the dragoness' faintly green face, but then his eyes popped wide, "No offense, Elf."

"Just some, oh…m-morning sickness…I'll be right back!" Black Ice then darted out of the room and headed for the nearest bathroom, the sound of her retching echoing down the halls and making the others shudder.

"Someone should go check on her," Stealth Elf pointed out, and the others almost instantly turned to Eruptor.

"Right. Of course the odds are against me," Eruptor grumbled in defeat, "Ya know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're all trying to avoid her, too."

"Oh, come on. You really think we're scared of a pregnant dragon?" Jat-Vac denied.

"You said it, not me."

A twinge of guilt entered the Skylanders, as they knew Eruptor had a point. And with his point made, the said lavas monster left and followed the sounds of Black Ice's rather violent vomiting. And soon enough, he found her in the upstairs bathroom with her head in the toilet.

"Oh, it pains me to see like this," the lava monster sighed, but then realization hit him in the face, "Actually, I've never seen you like this at all since you found out you were pregnant."

"Ugh…w-what do you mean?" Black Ice groaned when the sickness seemed to have subsided for the moment.

"I mean, you've never really had morning sickness—until Eon came out. I'm starting ta think you caught it, too."

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. And if I did, then you should stay away from Eon _and_ me."

"What? You're crazy ta think I'd leave my baby momma's side while she's sick!"

"Aww, you're too sweet—tell you what, since neither of us apparently don't care about getting sick anymore, let's be civilized hosts and welcome Eon into our home like we were supposed to."

"I think that's fair."

* * *

So, with no further hesitation, Black Ice and Eruptor caught up with a wandering Master Eon, and invited him into the kitchen for a sneezy but comforting cup of tea in the kitchen.

"Not to pry, but what are going to name them?" Eon began before sipping at the satisfying hot drink.

Black Ice and Eruptor's eyes popped wide, as they realized they haven't come up with any yet.

"Huh…haven't thought of any, really. Wow, and so close to the due date," Black Ice sighed.

"How 'bout White Fire?" Eruptor suggested with a smile.

"White Fire?"

"Yeah. It was my great granddad's name, and they didn't call him that for no reason. He had the most powerful flame in our family."

"He sounded pretty amazing—I'll think about it."

"I've got one: Snowflake!" Eon added in great excitement.

"Snowflake," Eruptor deadpanned.

"Yes, I've always wanted to see a baby ice dragon named Snowflake. And with your ice powers, Black Ice, a child with the same ability is almost a certainty."

Black Ice blushed and chuckled sheepishly, "Heh…using the ol' genetics card, are we?"

"Hey, Black Ice?" the soft voice of Stealth Elf caught their attention, as she stood sheepishly in the doorway.

"Elf? What're you doing here? I-I thought you didn't want to risk getting sick," Black Ice pointed out while approaching the ninja.

"Yeah, about that…we wanted to apologize for not being there for you earlier."

"We?"

Stealth Elf stepped aside and pushed the door open, revealing Spyro, Jet-Vac, and even Pop Fizz; all of them wearing guilt stricken expressions.

"It's ok, guys. You don't need to be sorry. It's just a little flu bug, nothing more."

"Yes, but given your current state, you're not supposed to be alone," Jet-Vac protested with a firm pointed claw.

"Well, I guess if you all insist on showering me with love, there's nothing I can do to stop it," Black Ice giggled matter-of-factly, but her happiness was suddenly ended with a rather cute little sneeze.

"And so, it begins," Jet-Vac sighed.

* * *

And Jet-Vac's words proved to be very true. It wasn't long before the rest of the household fell prey to the virus, and they all suffered together; whether it being blowing their noses, tossing their cookies, or huddling in a blanket to keep warm.

Eruptor and Black Ice, on the other hand, preferred to wait out the storm by simply cuddling together in Eruptor's room. For them, it was nothing but silence and tranquility…with the occasional sneeze, cough, or upchuck.

"You know…I guess it could be worse," Black Ice admitted, snuggling deeper into Eruptor's warm chest.

"How?" Eruptor inquired.

"The Doom Raiders could be out reeking havoc."

"Don't jinx it."

The lava monster smirked and suddenly started tickling the dragoness' sensitive belly, making her giggle and squirm uncontrollably, "Ok, ok! I-I won't, just stop!"

Having had enough, Black Ice surprised Eruptor by wrapping her arms around him and smashing her lips against him. It didn't take long for him to catch on, though, and it soon turned into a heated make out session.

"I can't help but feel that…this is your way of taking your mind off…being sick," Black Ice breathed between kisses.

"Oh, I can think of somethin' else," Eruptor growled seductively while climbing on top of his lover and straddling her waists, but was careful not to put too much weight on her.

But as soon as he leaned down for another kiss, Black Ice cleared her throat and looked away. Eruptor instantly felt shameful, especially when he recalled the night when he took her innocence against her own will.

"Sorry, I-I just thought that-."

"It's fine," the dragoness sighed and sat up, crawling out from underneath Eruptor and sitting at the edge of the bed, "This isn't who we are, right? Not just some couple that does nothing but…get into each other's pants?"

"No, never!" Eruptor quickly protested, crawling over to her and gently wrapped his arms around her to pull her into him, "I _really do_ love you, Sweetheart."

"You mean it?"

"To the bottom of my heart."

Black Ice turned to face him, staring directly into his content eyes with love to match. And then she smiled, "I'm glad to hear that."

She once again took him by surprise and pushed Eruptor onto his back, and it was her turn to straddle his hips. But just before they could really get down to business, a large object crashed against the window, nearly shattering it.

"Spyro?" Black Ice gasped when the said purple dragon pulled himself from the glass and shook off the pain, and he darted across the yard and out of view.

"What's goin' on?" Eruptor asked as Black Ice jumped up to the window to see what was happening, and her eyes went wide.

"I-It looks like Eon and Spyro are fighting! C'mon, we gotta stop them!"

The lava monster and the dragoness hastily headed to the front lawn, and the rest of the team was already out there, watching the battle in bewilderment.

"How long have they been out here?" Black Ice asked out of concern.

"I dunno. But I don't think either of 'em are gonna last much longer," Pop Fizz explained.

"Have you had enough, Spyro?" Eon growled threateningly, his fists glowing with magic.

"Not until I get what I want," Spyro grunted and suddenly flew away, flying into the sunlight to blind Eon. And soon, the old wizard completely lost sight of the purple dragon.

"Master Eon, what's happening?" Stealth Elf demanded.

"We're just practicing, Elf," Eon lied.

"It looks like a lot more than just _practice_ ," Stealth Elf argued with air quotes.

But just then, Black Ice caught sight of Spyro at the corner of her eye, as a raging fire burned in his eyes and he aimed right for Eon with high speeds.

"Look out!"

Eon did seem to react in time, but not before Black Ice jumped in between the two and was unfortunately caught in Eon line of fire. Her body jerked and fizzed with light magic, and she grunted in pain while trying to escape, but to no avail.

"Oh, goodness!" Eon exclaimed and quickly ceased his magic grip on her, "Are you alright?!"

"What did you do ta her?!" Eruptor scolded and rushed to his lover's aid, carefully scooping her up and checking her over, but then realization came to him, "This is all _your_ fault!"

"My fault?" Spyro gasped in surprise when the Eruptor glared daggers at him.

"If you hadn't kept bothering Eon about your stupid family, Ice wouldn't have gotten hurt!"

The purple dragon was truly taken aback, and he knew Eruptor was right. Black Ice didn't have to try and stop him from defeating Eon, but she did anyway—and it was his fault.

"You're right…I'm sorry," Spyro sighed in shame.

"I forgive you…Spyro…you, too, Master Eon," Black Ice grunted and tried to regain her strength, even managing to slip from Eruptor's arms and stand again, "It was just…an accident."

"An accident we should all learn from. This practice was futile from the beginning," Eon added, sending a glare towards Spyro before turning to retreat back into the house.

"What if I had won?" Spyro couldn't help but ask.

Eon stopped for a moment, "You were never going to win."

With that, the old wizard continued on and disappeared into the house, leaving a certain purple dragon quite devastated.

"Alright, Spyro, now do you have the whole Eon-knows-something-about-my-ancestors-thing out of your system?" Stealth Elf began in annoyance.

"Yes. But I'm even more convinced than ever that there's something he's not telling me," Spyro replied in confidence.

"Spyro…"

"Don't worry! I also now know that it's up to me and Ice alone if we wanna find out what truly happened to our race of dragons. Right, Ice?"

But when Spyro put a welcoming wing over Black Ice's shoulder, she sighed and brushed it away.

"Ice? W-We're still in this together…right?"

"Look, Spyro, as much as I want to help in finding out who either of us really are—I've got more important things to worry about," Black Ice informed, rubbing her bloated belly to emphasize her point.

"And after today, there's no way she's gettin' involved in your wild goose chases again," Eruptor added with a glare, and pulled Black Ice closer protectively.

Spyro sighed in defeat, "Fine. If I have to do this all on my own, then so be it. I _will_ find out who my family is, no matter how long it takes, or who stands in my way."

"Well, first thing's first, we need to get this flu but out of our systems and—hey! I feel good again!" Jet-Vac pointed out happily, and his stuffed up tone really was all gone.

"Me, too!" Eruptor added.

"I hadn't even noticed it was gone," Black Ice admitted in relief.

"Pop makes four! And my beautiful singing voice, it's baaaacck!" Pop Fizz announced and let out a long and rather off-key note.

"Look!" Stealth Elf shouted and pointed at the force field around the island, as it suddenly started to fade away. Soon after it disappeared, Ka-Boom arrived on the island via portal.

"Yo, Skylanders, good news: You're all better now! Whatever that virus was has come and gone already," Ka-Boom informed.

"In all of us? How can that be?" Spyro questioned.

"Turns out, the bug originated in someone whose metabolism is so fast, that the sickness cannot stick around—someone with super speed."

Stealth Elf's eyes immediately went wide when she remembered she was the fastest member on her team, given her ability to teleport.

"I knew it…ahem!" Eon called as he exited the house, but awkwardly cleared his throat when his voice cracked, "I-I mean, I'm glad to hear we now know the source of the virus once and for all."

"But how is it me? I felt just fine until Eon showed up," Stealth Elf pondered aloud.

"My guess is you must've given the virus to me yesterday when you came to see me at the academy. And because of your supersonic metabolism, the cold must've been festering under the radar until everyone got sick, and your body could no longer fight it off. Which is why we all healed quickly, too."

"Jeez, I'm so sorry. I seriously had no idea." The guilt in Stealth Elf's voice was quite obvious and painful to hear, so, being her best friend, Black Ice wrapped a reassuring wing around her.

"Hey, at least you didn't get us killed," Black Ice joked, easily cheering the ninja up as she playfully punched her shoulder and giggled.

"Well, it all worked out in the end. And now, we can get back to the task at hand: Protecting the Skylands from evil by starting our practice," Eon began with a smile, but it soon faltered when he noticed how distant Spyro was, "But only if we're _all_ feeling up to it."

Spyro was silent as he glanced around at the others, and they all gave him expectant looks. Eventually, he gave in and grinned, "I'm ready for round two."

"And _I'm_ ready ta finish what we started," Eruptor whispered seductively to Black Ice, making her blush when she recalled their brief fun time earlier.

* * *

 **Black Ice ain't lyin'. Those little eggs are on their way;)**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	16. Chapter 16 - The Wait is Over

**Well, the wait is sorta over...**

* * *

Chapter 16 - The Wait is Over

A makeshift nest of bundled up blankets in the corner of the room was truly a sight to behold, and Eruptor's tears of happiness emphasized it. Inside the nest were four little eggs, each with their own unique colors and markings. Even though they hadn't hatched yet, Eruptor was proud of what he created.

"Will you stop marveling over your 'greatest creation' and come help me?" Black Ice demanded jokingly with air quotes, as she tried to pull a big box through the bedroom door. Eruptor eventually obliged and helped pull the box inside, revealing a picture of a crib on the side.

"Do we really need a crib? I mean, this thing's gonna be a nightmare ta put together," Eruptor pointed out in annoyance.

"Hon, the kids can't sleep in a bunch of blankets on the floor forever. They'll need a _proper_ bed."

"Why not let them sleep in our bed, then?"

"With your high sex drive, that ain't happenin'."

"Point taken."

Black Ice then yawned and stretched her wings, her eyes drooping with fatigue, "Oh, but dragging that thing in here drained everything in me. I'm gonna need a nap before I _think_ about put it together now. We can start on it later, ok Hon?"

Eruptor smiled in content as Black Ice carefully lay down and coiled around her precious eggs, draping a wing over them and pulling them closer. She let out one more big yawn before closing her eyes, and drifting off to dreamland. Before leaving her in peace, Eruptor kissed Black Ice's forehead, making her smile; he then left the room and closed the door behind him.

And as he turned to leave, he felt a sudden burst in heat and energy. Eruptor turned and gasped in horror when the door was completely engulfed in white hot flames; he ran to the door to pry it open and save his family, but the flames proved to be too hot, even for him.

"Ice, can you hear me?! You gotta get outta there!" Eruptor called in desperation, but there was no answer, "BLACK ICE!"

* * *

Eruptor woke with a gasp, his eyes shot open as wide as dinner plates. He quickly looked over his shoulder to see if Black Ice was still in bed, but all he saw was an empty spot.

He instantly started panicking and sprinted out of the room, running through the house to find his lover. Luckily though, he found Black Ice in the kitchen, eating breakfast with the other Skylanders. And when they all noticed the huffing lava monster, they all turned towards him in confusion.

But Eruptor's eyes were locked solely on Black Ice, and more importantly, her baby bump; the eggs hadn't been laid yet, and Black Ice was perfectly fine.

"Oh, thank God," Eruptor sighed in great relief.

"You ok?" Black Ice asked while walking up to Eruptor, looking directly into his groggy eyes, "You look terrible, Hon. You aren't anxious about today, are you?"

"Uh…" was all the lava monster could say.

"You forgot what today is, didn't you?" Jet-Vac deadpanned.

"Maybe…"

"We're meeting up with Master Eon in the Grand Library to choose our own cadets," Stealth Elf explained.

"Yeah! We're gonna teach 'em the _real_ ways of the Skylanders!" Pop Fizz added with a cheer.

"Oh, right…that," Eruptor breathed, "Yeah, no, I'm fine. Honest…just a little shaken from a bad dream, is all."

"Well, that's nothin' a little coffee can't help," Black Ice pointed out with a smile, helping her lover to the table.

* * *

Once the Skylanders finished breakfast, they made haste to the Grand Library and waited for Master Eon to arrive with the cadets.

"I'm totally psyched, Guys! Me and Cynder are gonna have a blast!" Spyro informed while flying around in great ecstasy.

"I hope Eon's bringin' someone as short and hyperactive as me," Pop Fizz prayed.

"Yeah, this is the perfect opportunity to _really_ get out and stretch my legs," Black Ice added while cracking her knuckles. But as she relished in her high hopes, the others all exchanged nervous glances.

"I don't think you should come with us, Ice," Stealth Elf reluctantly spoke first.

"What? Why?" Black Ice questioned in surprise.

"Your due date's getting closer and closer by the day. What happens when we're out there, and you suddenly go into labor while we get attacked by, say, the Doom Raiders or even Fire Viper?" Jet-Vac explained sternly, but then sighed, "I'm sorry, Dear, but it's a risk we're just not willing to take. So, we need you to stay back here at the academy, where it's safe."

Stunned, Black Ice looked around for anyone to back her up, especially Eruptor, but all she saw was fear. And if Eruptor wasn't going to let her go, then why bother in trying to argue anymore.

The dragoness eventually sighed and sat on her haunches, "Fine…I'll stay back here, and…catch up on my reading, I guess."

Just then, the doors swung open and in walked Master Eon, and the whole class of cadets was not far behind him.

"We have come to an important day in your journey to becoming Skylanders, Cadets: Choosing your senior advisors," Eon explained to the cadets and proudly presented the Skylander team to them, and they greeted them all with welcoming smiles, "You will each be paired with an experienced team member to council you on all matters of the Skylander way. Now, first advisor up is Spyro."

"Shotgun!" Cynder immediately called, taking flight to meet up with her best dragon friend.

"Dragons, unite!" Spyro shouted jokingly and met her halfway in the air, both of them exchanging friendly wing-bumps.

"Now, who among you would like to be paired with our Baroness of Blades, Stealth Elf?" Eon question certainly didn't fall upon deaf ears, as the remaining cadets all raised their hands in sync.

"Hmm…I was afraid this might happen," Eon admitted and headed over to his desk, and grabbed out some straws from a drawer, "To settle this, you will all draw straws."

But before Eon could hand them out, each cadet held up a piece of paper with tacky drawings of straws.

"That's…not exactly what I mean. But I must say, Food Fight, your use of light and shadow, it's impeccable," Eon stated while closely examining Food Fight's drawing in appeasement, "Stealth Elf is yours!"

"Oh, yeah!" Food Fight cheered and pointed his tomato blaster at Stealth Elf, "Tomato shot?"

"Uh…I'm good, thanks," Stealth Elf awkwardly shrugged off the offer.

"Roller Brawl, why don't you work with Jet-Vac? You both have such similar personalities," Eon suggested, and the said cadet on spiky roller skates slowly approached Jet-Vac.

"Hope you're ready to never have one iota of fun again, Cadet," Jet-Vac grimly informed.

"One day, the sun is gonna explode," Roller Brawl added, depression quite obvious in her voice as she carelessly waved her hair out of her face.

"Yes—I like the cut of your jib," Jet-Vac admitted with a smirk.

"Who wants to pair with Eruptor?" Eon went on.

"Ooh, ooh! Pick me! I've always wanted to work with someone with heat power!" Chill begged while hopping up and down, and Eon nodded in approval.

"Chill, huh? Well, I'm lookin' forward ta workin' with you, too," Eruptor explained with a smile.

"Yes, your fire power will give me the chance to learn how to crush them," Chill hissed like an animal, clasping her fists together violently and taking her new senior advisor by surprise.

"And Wind-Up, you pair with Pop Fizz," Eon finally added.

"Yeah!" Wind-Up cheered.

"Whoo-hoo!" Pop Fizz called with matching happiness.

"This is so cool! I've never _not_ had ta look up at somebody before!"

"Me, neither! Hey, do you like ingesting unknown liquids and throwing caution inta the wind?"

"Oh, boy! Do I ever!"

"Well, looks like we're done here. Let's-." Before Eon could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a small burp; he then turned to find that there was still one cadet left: Bad Breath.

"Bad Breath? When did you come in?"

"Well, I've been here the entire time," Bad Breath replied.

"Oh, well…then how about you work with Black Ice? No one seems to have taken her yet."

"Sorry, Guys, no-can-do," Black Ice explained in annoyance, "The team says I need to take time off for a while."

"Ahem! …Seeing as there are no more advisors available, I suppose you'll have to be the alternate, in case a cadet gets injured," Eon instructed awkwardly.

"Alright…" Bad Breath sighed in sorrow.

After Eon turned to attend to the other Skylanders and cadets, Black Ice instantly felt bad for Bad Breath, due to the rather relatable situation she was in.

"I really am sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help both of us."

"No, it's totally cool. Whenever the team needs me, I'll be ready."

Black Ice let out a little pity laugh, "You sound just like me."

All of the sudden, the air was pierced by waving cries of terror, as a familiar misshapen figure came crashing into the library.

"Cy?" Eon gasped.

"Who?" Black Ice inquired.

"He's someone we created with out own imagination," Spyro quickly informed.

"Oh. Makes perfect sense," Black ice muttered sarcastically.

"Skylanders, Fire Viper has attacked King Pen's home in Arctic Isle, and taken him prisoner!" Cy panted, instantly putting the others on guard.

"Cy, are you hurt?" Eon asked.

"No, Master Eon, but we must hurry! Fire Viper is out for Vengeance!"

"I need all of you to head to the Arctic Isle with Cy, and rescue King Pen at once! Hurry, Skylanders and cadets!"

"Alright, people, kick the tires, and light the fires! Mission briefing in five! Go, go, go!" Jet-Vac boomed and ran out of the library, the rest of the Skylanders and cadets not far behind; all except Black Ice, Bad Breath, and Cy.

And as Bad Breath and Black Ice trailed behind, they couldn't help but notice how Cy tried to bond with the cadets, but was immediately rejected and ignored.

But putting aside the vendetta between them, they followed the others outside and waited as Jet-Vac went over the battle plan.

"Alright, Team. Thanks to Cy here, we have a schematic of King Pen's Arctic Isle. Now, when we arrive, each of you will have a unique role to play in our plan of attack. It's a very simple two-step plan, really—in fifty-eight parts. Cadets, gather 'round and listen carefully."

Cy attempted to keep up with the cadets, but accidentally tripped on a rock, but it wasn't long before two hands offered their assistance; it was Bad Breath and Black Ice, and Cy took each of their hands and stood up.

"Thanks."

"Bad Breath," Bad Breath added and held out his hand again, this time to shake it.

Cy secretly tried to check his breath, "It's not _that_ bad."

"No, I-I mean, that's my name."

"Oh! Nice to meet you—but I don't think I remember you."

"I'm Black Ice. And the reason you probably don't remember me is because I was probably— _recovering_ at the time when you met the other Skylanders," Black Ice introduced herself, but a faint blush crept across her cheeks at the last part.

"Recovering from what?"

"U-Uh, it's not that important."

"Well, that's ok. But anyway, I can't but notice something weird about the cadets," Cy pondered aloud.

"What do you mean?" Black Ice asked.

"Well, cover me in cashews and call me nuts, but do the other cadets seem to have a problem with me?"

"Oh, yeah, don't worry. They act like that way sometimes—well, mostly just ta me. I guess they don't like my power," Bad Breath reassured, "It's a little too…strong. Heh…I can't even go on this mission 'cause I didn't get a senior advisor. But it's fine. Par for the course for the _weird guy_."

"Weird, like someone with a banana head and monster feet, I bet," Cy joked matter-of-factly, raising one of his monster-like feet to prove his point.

"And that concludes step two, addendum three, item r. Questions?" Jet-Vac went on, finally seeming to have finished going through the whole plan, "Then let's move out!"

"Ahem!" Cy boldly cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention like he planned, "Before we do, Jet-Vac, I want to let everyone know that I'll be bringing Bad Breath along with us, as I am his senior advisor."

"That's perfect! We'll need all the help we can get," Stealth Elf pointed out with joy, and suddenly teleported onto the portal, "Let's roll!"

One by one, the Skylanders and cadets followed Stealth Elf, and teleported all the way out to the Arctic Isle, where they knew danger would be waiting for them. The last ones to leave were Bad Breath, Cy, and a certain dragoness.

"Wait!" Black Ice called and stopped the two, "I wanna be on your team, too."

"Really?" Cy asked out of excitement.

"But I thought you had to stay behind because of your…" Bad Breath tried to find the right words without sounding offensive.

"Oh, I'll be fine! I've been through worse!"

* * *

By the time the trio arrived on Arctic Isle, the other cadets and Skylanders were already in battle positions, but poor King Pen was in the clutches of Fire Viper; the said evil serpent hungrily held the penguin over his mouth, and he didn't wait too long to drop him and swallow him whole.

"Delicious," Fire Viper hissed in satisfaction, "But it didn't quite hit the spot."

"Remember earlier when you said something about running into Fire Viper?" Black Ice growled at Jet-Vac accusingly.

"Oh, I hate it when I'm right," Jet-Vac whimpered.

"Nobody eats King Pen!" Cy shouted at the top of his lungs, and instantly took flight to fight the giant serpent.

"No, wait, remember the battle plan!" Jet-Vac called out, but Cy only ignored him and attempted to defeat Fire Viper by shooting mashed potatoes at him. Unsurprisingly, that plan didn't work and he was effortlessly eaten as well.

"Banana split!" Fire Viper taunted, grinning down at the others.

"You just ate the wrong Skylander cadet's new best friend. When I get through with you, you'll wish-," Bad Breath growled with great rage, but his threats were futile with Fire Viper snuck his tail behind him and grabbed him, throwing the cadet into his mouth, too.

"Don't you just hate it when your food won't shut up?"

Fire Viper grew more and more intimidating to the cadets by the minute, so they all rushed to hide behind their senior advisors for protection.

"The plan is ruined!" Cynder exclaimed in fear.

"Forget the plan! Just improvise!" Jet-Vac shouted before he and the rest of the team scattered while screaming in terror. But that just made it easier for Fire Viper to pick them off, scooping them up and consuming them one by one.

Eruptor and Black Ice were the last two to avoid getting eaten, but Black Ice's attempts wouldn't prove to be any help much longer when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach.

"I thought I told you to stay at the academy!" Eruptor called to Black Ice while sprinting up to her, failing to notice her sudden moment of vulnerability.

"No, you just silently agreed with the others for me to stay back! But this is _my_ body and these are _my_ babies, so I'll decide for myself, even if it kills me!" Black Ice hissed back in anger, but she suddenly hit a more slippery patch of ice and lost her grip, sliding into Eruptor and sending them both sliding into an ice wall.

They were now cornered, as Fire Viper roared and was fast approaching. All they could do now was hold each other close and shut their eyes tight, preparing for the worst. And soon enough, there was nothing but darkness, and an unsettling damp feeling.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" A familiar voice brought Black Ice to her senses, and she recognized it as Stealth Elf.

"Elf, is that you?" The next voice was definitely Eruptor's, and Black Ice saw a faint orange light down what she could only assume was Fire Viper's gullet; she followed it and looked over an edge where the light was brighter, but she suddenly slipped on the gooey edge and started sliding all the way down until she bumped into the others.

The cadets were startled when Black Ice showed up unexpectedly, but Eruptor and the Skylanders weren't hesitant to rush to her aid.

"Next time, just do what we ask of you, ok?" Jet-Vac growled at Black Ice in disappointment.

"Ok, everyone, stay calm! Just because we're stuck inside a giant snake monster's digestive system is no reason to lose our cool," Stealth Elf firmly yet calmly instructed.

"King Pen, you're alive!" Cy gasped when he saw his sensei meekly lying against the soft walls.

"Barely…I'm afraid the heat from this beast's internal organs…has weakened my cold-based body," King Pen meekly explained before helplessly passing out.

"Chill, Ice, can you use your powers to keep him cool?" Spyro asked the said Skylander and cadet, and both nodded before approaching King Pen and engulfing him in some comforting ice magic.

"We'll do what we can, but it won't keep him alive for very long," Black Ice reluctantly informed.

"Cadets, you stay here with Black Ice and Cy while we try to find a way out," Stealth Elf demanded.

"Uh, I know one way out of the stomach, but I don't think anyone's gonna like it," Spyro pointed out and walked a little ways down the gullet, and everyone instantly shuddered when they figured out what he meant.

"I knew I should've brought my galoshes," Stealth Elf groaned as she and the Skylanders disappeared down fleshy corridor.

"I can't believe we're stuck down here, and it's all because of _you_!" Roller Brawl complained and pointed an accusing finger at Cy.

"Yeah, some Skylander you are, Banana Boy," Wind-Up added in anger.

"Now, hold on! This isn't Cy's fault. He was only trying to save his sensei. You would've all done the same thing if it was your families' lives on the line," Black Ice protested.

"She's right!" Bad Breath added in agreement.

"Yeah, whatever," Food Fight scoffed, " _Neither_ of you should ever be here."

"Yes, we should! Just because you guys don't think I'm good enough for your little reindeer games doesn't mean I'm not," Bad Breath argued with a growl, "I was about to become a Skylander _way_ before any of you!"

"Jeez, someone's a little touchy," Cynder muttered under her breath and rolled her eyes, but Bad Breath still heard her.

"You bet your scales I am! But at least I don't spend all my time bein' jealous of Skylanders like Cy and Ice, who've earned their stripes! Maybe if you all concentrated more on your own training, you could've done something to stop Fire Viper."

As the cadets continued to nag with each other, Black Ice felt another urge of pain in her torso, and it was much sharper than the last one.

 _No…not yet,_ the dragoness denied and shook her head, trying to concentrate on keeping King Pen alive. The pain lasted for a good while, but it ironically disappeared just before the Skylanders returned from their expedition.

"Um, you guys don't seem very united right now. Something happen while we were gone?" Stealth Elf pried.

The cadets exchanged knowing looks before nodding in agreement, and Cynder spoke for them all, "Ok, here it is: We don't think it's fair how Cy or Black Ice got to become Skylanders. Cy didn't even have to train or graduate from the academy like us, for crying out loud!"

"Yeah! How come they didn't have ta jump through the same hoops we do?" Roller Brawl added.

"Wait a minute! You're missing the big picture, here. Like Bad Breath, I was training to become a Skylander long before any of you. It may not have happened the same way, but I proved myself to my team in the end," Black Ice argued and finally took a break from preserving King Pen with her magic.

"And Ice isn't the only one. When we first joined the academy, we faced all kinds of prejudice from the other cadets. They resented the fact that we were raised by Master Eon, and that things came easier for us," Spyro began with an amused smile, as he reminisced in the childhood he and Black Ice shared together at the academy, "And for me, well, back in those days, I was kinda-."

"Cocky?" Eruptor grimly pointed out.

"Full of yourself?" Pop Fizz added with a glare.

"A self-observed braggart blessed by nepotism?" Jet-Vac stated sarcastically.

"Uh, I was gonna say 'nervous to impress my friends'." The others all agreed in their own sarcastic and mockery kind of way. "But you know who the one cadet was who was tougher on me than anyone? Well, let's just say that person wasn't very stealth about their feelings toward me."

"As for me, I needed someone who was willing to push me to the limit," Black Ice explained and sent a knowing smirk Eruptor's way, making him nervously smile back.

"But in the end, Spyro and Black Ice were so determined to justify their spot on the team, that they did everything in their power to prove themselves to us," Stealth Elf added with a smile, approaching the two dragons and pulling them in for a hug, "Now, I'm proud to call them both my best friends."

"So, maybe if you'd all give Cy and Bad Breath a chance ta show what they're made of, you'd see they're as much Skylanders as anyone else," Eruptor added and joined in the group hug.

"Guys, come quick!" Chill called as King Pen began to stir, and the others immediately rushed to his aid.

"Sensei, are you alright?" Cy questioned in fear.

"I think so…but I fear the rest of our world is not," King Pen began in a hoarse voice, "A new darkness spreads across the Skylands…"

"What do you mean, a new darkness?" Pop Fizz inquired.

"Fire Viper should have never been able to…survive the sub-zero temperatures of my home. The last time Fire Vipers were able to do so…was during the Great War. And back then, our true enemy was so lethal, that had we not defeated him…we'd _all_ be living in very dark, cold times. Thankfully, we struck down our foe, but suffered great losses in the fight…but _you two_ know all about that, don't you?"

Spyro and Black Ice were awestruck when King Pen looked directly at them at that last part, "We do?"

Just then, Fire Viper started to awaken, making everyone lose their balance as his insides shook violently.

"Fire Viper is awake! We must do something, or we will all be digested!" King Pen ordered and tried to keep his balance, but to no avail. Eventually, he, like all of the Skylanders and cadets, were sent plummeting down Fire Viper's gullet until they landed in an area with foreign objects to hold onto and keep them from falling any further.

"I can't keep my grip!" Stealth Elf cried.

"At least you have a grip! Try hanging on with no fingers!" Eruptor argued while desperately wrapping his arms tightly around Stealth Elf's legs.

"Hang on, Ice! I've got you!" Cy called in reassurance when the said dragoness lost her grip, too, but she luckily fell into Cy's outstretched arm; although, her belly wasn't caught up in the force the impact, she felt another painful contraction. She knew there was no more denying what was really happening.

"Ice, what's wrong?!" Eruptor questioned when he heard Black Ice helplessly sobbing.

"I-I'm so sorry, Guys! You were right, I should've listened…but now it's too late," Black Ice sniffled and grabbed her baby bump with a paw and grunted in even more pain, "They're coming!"

"Oh, magma," Eruptor cursed under his breath, not that the others weren't just as shocked to realize what was happening.

And to make matters worse, the already intoxicated air was suddenly filled with Bad Breath's powerful odor.

"Bad Breath!" Cynder snapped.

"I can't help it, Cynder. Intense fear of being digested by fire breathing serpents makes me…gassy," Bad Breath admitted in shame before burping once more. Miraculously, though, the smelly cadet's power gave King Pen a brilliant idea.

"That's it! Bad Breath, you must embrace your rancid gift, and use it to save us all!"

"So, you _want_ me ta burp?" Bad Breath asked in surprise.

"I'm struggling to find an eloquent way to say this, so I'll just cut to the chase," King Pen awkwardly admitted, "Belch, Man! Belch for our lives!"

"But…I-I don't want anyone ta hate me more than they already do."

"It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, Friend. If there's one thing the Skylanders taught me, it's to always be yourself," Cy proudly announced.

"He's right! It's time for you to be you!" Wind-Up added.

"Even though you smell like flaming desert diapers sometimes," Food Fight joked, but clearly meant well.

"This is all hunky-dory and all, but I'm still giving birth here!" Black Ice shrieked when another contraction hit, and she did all she could to hold back an oncoming egg.

"Ok, everyone, plug your noses! It's about ta get funky up in here!" Bad Breath announced firmly, and took a big breath in before letting it all out in the biggest burp he's ever achieved. The gas from the cadet traveled all throughout Fire Viper's digestive tract, and effortlessly made him cough everyone back up all at once.

"We made it! King Pen's plan worked!" Roller Brawl cheered.

"And only one cadet could've pulled it off. Thank you, Bad Breath," Cynder admitted with a nod, and she and the other cadets instantly crowded around Bad Breath to thank and congratulate him.

"Hug it out after we win, Cadets! We need to attack Fire Viper while he's still vulnerable!" Spyro quickly pointed out, as the said giant snake clutched his stomach in pain.

But Fire Viper wasn't the only reptile with great pain in the torso, as Black Ice started hyperventilating and laid down to brace for the real pain to come.

"We can't just leave her!" Eruptor demanded and immediately rushed to Black Ice's aid.

"Looks like it's up to us," Bad Breath stated in realization.

"Lead the way, Bad Breath," Chill instructed as she and the cadets sprinted up to Fire Viper for battle, "Cadets, unite!"

With that, the cadets, including Cy, pulled together and simultaneously put gave Fire Viper the went worth in their own respective ways. And the cadets gave Bad Breath the honor of finishing off the serpent with another powerful belch that released an odor powerful enough to knock out Fire Viper for good.

Once Fire Viper was down and out, the Skylanders couldn't help but look on at the pupils they helped guide to victory.

" _Such_ a proud advisor right now," Stealth Elf sighed in relief.

"They grow up so fast," Pop Fizz dramatically stated and wiped away a tear of joy.

"They're faster than these little guys, that's for sure," Black Ice breathed, and the Skylanders turned to find the now thinner dragoness coiled around something and her wing draped overtop as well.

Not wanting to keep her team waiting much longer, Black Ice smiled and lifted her wing, revealing four colorful eggs with completely different markings. And Eruptor was scared yet excited when he realized they looked just like the ones in his dream, but he pushed that nightmare-ish thought aside and spent this precious moment to be with his family; he sat down next to Black Ice and started crying tears of joy while gently scooping up a white egg with a sparkly blue snowflake, and the light front his hands shown through the shell, revealing a faint shadow in the shape of a baby dragon.

"Senior advisor is a neat gig, but nothing could ever beat bein' a dad," Eruptor sobbed and hugged the egg.

"Well then, you'd better help me get them home, Big Daddy. They won't last long in the cold," Black Ice pointed out and picked up two of the eggs, both of them black but one had a dark purple blotches; Eruptor didn't hesitate to pick up the last egg, which was just as flawless white as the one with the snowflake, but it was covered in the opposite markings of white flames.

"Eon's gonna be real happy to find out we really are naming one Snowflake," Black Ice mused matter-of-factly, as she an Eruptor approached a nearby portal.

"We are?" Eruptor asked in surprise.

"You got a better name in mind?"

"Tell ya what. We'll name it Snowflake if it's a girl, and if it's a boy—I vote Snowstorm."

Black Ice chuckled, "Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

 **Yup, they're here but also kinda still not...**

 **It won't be much longer before we really get to meet them, I promise.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	17. Chapter 17 - Daddy Issues

Chapter 17 - Daddy Issues

Staying behind, albeit reluctantly, from a mission in the Falling Forest to watch her eggs was something that Black Ice took very seriously. Given every horrible outcome that's happened recently, she knew she couldn't let her guard down.

"Now listen, your daddy is out fighting one of the most well-known and crafty villains out there: Chompy Mage. And as much as I hate to admit it, you all may have to fight evil like him one day, too," Black Ice firmly explained to the four eggs, as they sat silent and motionless on the living room couch. It wasn't until another moment or so passed by that Black Ice remembered that they might not even be able to hear her yet, so she chuckled sheepishly and rolled her eyes.

She then picked up the largest egg, the flawless white one with flame markings and roughly the size of a grape fruit, bringing it up to her face and gently kissing it, "As precious and beautiful as you all are now, you're a bit of a snore—and I can't wait to finally see you all, and neither can your-."

The dragoness was suddenly cut off when the front door opened, and the rest of the team strode in with prideful smiles.

"Did you catch him?" Black Ice questioned and put the egg back down.

"You bet we did, and you can thank JV for it!" Spyro happily replied, but his smile faltered when Jet-Vac was nowhere in sight, "Where'd he go?"

A faint wood creaking sound from upstairs gave everyone a pretty good idea.

"It's not like Jet-Vac to miss the celebration of a victory that happened on his account," Stealth Elf pointed out with concern.

"Unless something triggered the need to be alone. What happened out there?" Black Ice inquired.

"Well…he kinda laid an egg, like he does every time he gets scared," Eruptor explained in embarrassment.

"That's probably it."

"Yeah, I'd be pretty ashamed if I accidentally spawned something," Spyro simply added, but Eruptor and Black Ice gave him a deadpanned look.

"That being said—sounds like the old man needs a pep talk," Black Ice confirmed and headed upstairs, Spyro quickly following to apologize for his rude comment.

"Jet-Vac?" Black Ice softly called when they reached the attic.

"Yo, JV!" Spyro reassuringly greeted when he saw the said senior Skylander standing in the middle of the room with his head sulking over another fear-egg, "Hey, you seemed a little embarrassed after ploppin' your egg during the fight, so we just wanted to make sure you were ok-what is _that_?!"

Both Spyro and Black Ice gasped in awe at the sight of a wall decorated with beautifully colored eggs, but Jet-Vac only looked upon them with shame.

"What is up with all the eggs?" Black Ice asked.

"They're reminders of each time I've been afraid, week, and pitiful," Jet-Vac began sorrowfully, as the two dragons began scanning the various designs on the eggs, "This one's from the first time I faced Kaos…uh, that one's from when I was outsmarted by a band of Chomupies…and that one, well, I just found on an Easter egg hunt. Not sure how that got there."

"Ok," Spyro slowly stated.

Jet-Vac sighed as he placed the plain blue egg on the shelf, "Another notch in my wall of cowardice."

"Easy, big guy. So you were afraid today, big whoop," Black Ice tried to reassure.

"The biggest of whoops," Jet-Vac protested while staring at an old portrait of his father, "It's like my father always said: Son, if you're ever afraid, just remember—move out and change your name because you're not my son!"

The two dragons gasped when Jet-Vac got up in their faces just to prove his point, and they exchanged worried glances when the said senior Skylander let out another sigh of sorrow.

"I think you're being a little hard on yourself—and I definitely think your dad was a little hard on you," Spyro pointed out, muttering the last part under his breath.

"No, he was right. he was a military man like me, and he always said a good leader never shows fear—which means I'm not a good leader," Jet-Vac protested sadly, taking a seat on his bed.

"Even though your dad was tough on you, at least you know who he is," Spyro stated, placing a comforting paw on Jet-Vac's shoulder, "I'd give anything to know who my parents were, or anyone I was related to."

"Be careful what you wish for, Spyro. Maybe being raised by Eon was the best thing that could've happened to you, to the both of you." Spyro and Black Ice couldn't help but agree with the old bird.

"Well, who cares what your dad said? If he was a _real_ father, he would've told you that fear is just an illusion," Black Ice reassured with a smile, gently taking one of Jet-Vac's hands into hers, "We think you're a great leader, Jet-Vac, and the Skylanders are lucky to have you as their leader."

"That's kind of you two to say," Jet-Vac informed as a small smile formed on his face—a very small one.

* * *

Since their first pep talk with Jet-Vac didn't work, Spyro and Black Ice gathered the rest of the team in the kitchen to form a plan on how to cheer up the old bird.

"Guys, JV's been pretty down on himself about the eggs-equal-fear-thing. He thinks he isn't a good leader," Spyro began.

"But if we show him how much we admire him and his leadership, he'll get over the whole ordeal and he can get back to being the uptight, bossy Jet-Vac we love," Black Ice explain, holding the smooth black egg while rubbing little circles on it; Eruptor gently cradled the one with the snowflake, which was the smallest of the brood; and the other two were safely nestled in a padded saddlebag on Black Ice's back.

"I never realized his egg plops represented fear. I thought he did it during battle to break the tension so we'd relax and fight better," Pop Fizz admitted in surprise.

"Uh, do _you_ fight better when JV drops an egg?" Stealth Elf asked sarcastically.

Pop Fizz shook his head, "No, I do not."

Just then, the kitchen door swung open and none other than Jet-Vac walked in with guilt and distraught on his face.

"Oh, hey, Jet-Vac! There you are!" Spyro greeted dramatically, "Ya know, I was just telling the team how awesome it was that time you…"

Spyro tried to come up with an example but was stumped, so he looked to others for an answer; Stealth Elf randomly grabbed a can of beans and chucked it at Spyro, hoping for the best.

"Uh…taught me how to open a can," Spyro lied.

"What?" Jet-Vac questioned in disbelief.

"Yup. Uh, by doing do, you led me to a victory over my hunger. What a guy! Thanks again, JV. So inspiring." Unexpectedly, Spyro smiled and tossed the can out of the window.

"Right. So, I'll go get my lunch you hurled through the window," Jet-Vac stated dryly before heading outside.

* * *

The team then launched another plan by trying different ways to make Jet-Vac feel needed and admired; Pop Fizz tried to get dating advice, Stealth Elf had a short and awkward talk about financial decisions, and finally, Eruptor tried to have a cliché game of catch with him.

But for Jet-Vac, that was the last straw.

"Ok, stop! Just stop it! I know what you're all doing. You're trying to show you value me, and think of me as a good leader."

"Oh, ho! Busted!" Eruptor laughed heartily, as the rest of the team came out of their hiding spots in Jet-Vac's room.

"Yep," Spyro quickly replied.

"Oh, we were supposed ta hide it?" Pop Fizz questioned.

"It was Spyro's bad idea!" Stealth Elf accused, pointing a finger at the said purple dragon.

"So much for the element of surprise," Black Ice sighed in defeat.

"Well, don't do it anymore. As I've said before, I let my fear get the best of me way too often. And this wall is proof," Jet-Vac argued, referring to his wall of beautiful shame-eggs, "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be left alone with my painful yet beautiful reminders, that I'm barely fit to lead this team. The last thing I need is someone else looking to me to show them how to do anything."

All of the sudden, a faint cracking echoed throughout the room, and everyone's eyes were instantly fixated on the new egg, as its blue shell wobbled and twitched before—SNAP!

The shell broke in two, and a tiny creature with blue skin and big yellow eyes peered out, "Mama?"

Jet-Vac could only gasp in horror.

"Dada," the little creature meekly called out again.

"What?!" the entire team exclaimed in utter shock.

* * *

After realizing that this thing was indeed a baby, they took it downstairs to set it comfortably in some blankets, as everyone ogled over it.

"Aww!" Stealth Elf cooed while tickling the baby, only for it to sneeze all over her hand and she recoiled in disgust.

"How can this be?! How can I be a father?! Especially when there's so much evil on the prowl, and Skylands needs us more than ever!" Jet-Vac ranted on while pacing.

"Welcome ta the club, old man," Eruptor chuckled boastfully.

Jet-Vac only ignored the lava monster, "Plus, there's so much to figure out with a child. A proper name, how to change diapers, staging adorable photo shoots celebrating every month I keep this thing alive…"

"Look, JV, we're actually kinda shocked that you're handling this rather well," Black Ice admitted.

"Well, becoming a father is scary. But it's like my father always said: Don't run from fear. Collect it and put it on display to remind you that you will _never_ live up to the expectations I saddled you with your entire life," Jet-Vac explained hysterically.

"Man, you've got daddy issues _bad_ ," Black Ice hissed through clenched teeth.

"And what does all that have ta do with becoming a dad?" Pop Fizz asked.

"Don't you see? This baby is the living embodiment of my fears. If I can take care of a child, perhaps I'll have conquered all of my fears once and for all."

Jet-Vac smiled in excitement at that realization, and he carefully picked up the strange youngling, "Now then, I'm just gonna go change and/or…water you."

With that, Jet-Vac left with his baby to figure out how to take care of it, starting a whole twisted series of events of how the rest of the team reacted to the baby when he returned.

They heard that the baby had nearly strangled Eon to death with his own beard, he attacked Pop Fizz some time after that, and the others teammates were completely vulnerable when they went for a walk with Jet-Vac and his baby.

And when the evil-eyed little thing grabbed Jet-Vac's Vac Gun, it all went downhill from there.

"Incoming toaster!" Stealth Elf warned as she jumped out of the way of the line of fire, and the baby kept firing without Jet-Vac noticing at all.

"Skillet!" Spyro shouted, just barely dodging the said cast iron cooking utensil.

"Bag of cats!" Eruptor exclaimed when a bag of live cats came hurling towards Black Ice and the eggs, so he quickly jumped in the way to protect them.

"Are you ok?!" Black Ice gasped and helped her dazed lover back up, only for him to growl and ignite his hands immediately afterwards, threatening to destroy Jet-Vac's baby.

But unlike the previous three shots his baby took with his own gun, Jet-Vac finally noticed the commotion and turned around, glaring at Eruptor, "Eruptor! How many times do I have to tell you? No lava near the baby!"

As Jet-Vac turned and continued walking, his child grinned maniacally back at the others, and they glared daggers back at him now that they had a personal vendetta.

"Funny. I thought _I_ would be the one to say that," Black ice joked sheepishly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Aside from that, we are hiding _our_ kids from that beast that JV calls a 'little angel'," Eruptor firmly instructed with hateful air quotes.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Jet-Vac called for Sprocket's help in putting together a crib in the Grand Library, while the others watched his baby for him.

"Four easy steps with one tiny wrench, and _fifty-six_ pieces of wood? Oh, come on, SkyKea!" Jet-Vac read the instructions aloud in frustration.

"Not gonna lie, JV, this usually takes me, like, four tries to get right, even with all my tech powers," Sprocket admitted in shame.

Meanwhile, Hugo was trying to chase and calm down Jet-Vac's baby, but it proved easier said than done when the little thing suddenly snarled and turned its head around like the demon in The Exorcist.

"The power of Eon compels you! The Power of Eon compels you…to do what, I have no idea," Hugo demanded while spraying the baby with Eon's beard spray.

But the baby dodged the scented spray and jumped around on everyone's heads, blowing a raspberry back at Hugo before landing in Eruptor's arms.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jet-Vac scolded when he saw Eruptor with his child, who immediately calmed down and smiled innocently.

"Nothing," Stealth Elf denied.

"He's just so cute," Spyro pointed out nervously.

"W-We're playing baby games," Eruptor replied with a fake smile.

"Yeah…games," Black Ice chuckled in fear. But then the baby leapt out of Eruptor's arms and grabbed some of the nuts and bolts that came with the crib, chucking them at Black Ice.

But before she could get hit, she cloaked herself in thick shadows, becoming completely intangible to the flying objects.

"Ha!" Black Ice mocked when the baby seemingly stopped, only for him to throw one last unexpected wrench at her, which successfully hit her in the head, "Ok…point taken…"

Eruptor luckily caught the dragoness before she fell over from the throbbing of her head, and he sent the coldest scowl of them all when the others looked at Jet-Vac and his baby accusingly.

"What? He's just a baby, he didn't know what he was doing," Jet-Vac chuckled in defense, holding his baby close and checking his wrist for a watch that wasn't even there, "Oh, it's time for his nap! See ya!"

"Is it just me, or does that gremlin know _exactly_ what it's doing?" Spyro asked once Jet-Vac was gone.

"Totally!" Stealth Elf hissed.

"He's a terrorist!" Eruptor growled.

"He's small and horrific, like a bee!" Pop Fizz added in fear.

"I like it when you guys include me," Hugo admitted softly.

"Guys, we gotta do something, and _fast_ ," Spyro demanded.

"But before you do, could you guys _unite_ to help me with this crib?" Sprocket called, mimicking Eon's voice at one point.

* * *

Eventually, Sprocket and the others gave up on the crib and decided to take a break, to which Master Eon called a team meeting at their house. But little did Jet-Vac know that there was more to this meeting than he would like.

"Oh, hey! I'm the last here for the emergency team meeting? Well, makes sense. New dad and all," Jet-Vac began in surprise while taking a seat and putting his baby down, "So, what's up, Eon?"

"Jet-Vac, this isn't a team meeting—it's an intervention," Eon firmly informed.

"Great! Well, can we make it quick? I was just about to teach the baby how to shave."

"Actually, _he_ is the reason we're here."

"Look, JV, about your kid…there's no easy way to say this, so we put it on a cake," Spyro explained as Pop Fizz presented a fancy cake to Jet-Vac.

"Mmm, cake! 'Your kid is so evil'," Jet-Vac read the decorative frosting aloud, but his smile faltered when he realized who it was referring to, "Your kid…m-meaning, _my_ kid? How can you say such a thing?!"

"We can't. That's why we put it on a cake," Pop Fizz corrected.

"Jet-Vac, he tried to choke Eon with his own beard," Eruptor pointed out.

"He's excited because he just learned how to tie knots," Jet-Vac protested.

"He destroyed all my potions," Pop Fizz added.

"His hand-eye coordination isn't that good. But don't you do that same thing, like, all the time?"

"He's got me there…"

"He's also tried to steal our eggs, like, five times today. Five times!" Black Ice exclaimed in annoyance.

"Look, he's just a baby! A sweet, loving, misunderstood baby."

"Then how do you explain that?" Eon asked and pointed behind Jet-Vac, where the baby drew 'I love evil' on the wall with a crayon. He then growled and snatched the cake from Pop Fizz, chucking it at Eruptor, who was helpless to dodge it and was covered in splattered cake and frosting.

Jet-Vac then accepted the truth, sulking his head and sighing, "Right. my boy is evil."

The old bird then took his son upstairs to deal with him, and Black Ice tried to help Eruptor clean up, awkwardly pulling the platter away while the majority of the cake still stuck to his face.

"And here, I thought you couldn't get any sweeter," Black Ice giggled after dragging a claw over the frosting and bringing it to her mouth for a taste.

"Oh, really? Well, have some more!" Eruptor laughed before scraping off most of the cake, and flinging it at his lover; she was so surprised that she fell off the couch and laughed uncontrollably.

"If you guys are done horsing around, we should really plan on how to separate Jet-Vac from his baby," Stealth Elf cut in flatly.

"So, what do we do? Jet-Vac will never leave his kid alone," Eruptor questioned.

"We're going to have to distract JV, grab the baby, and take it back to where we found him," Spyro explained in confidence.

"How?" Black Ice asked, still trying to scrap off the thick cake and frosting.

"I can distract JV by watching Skylands Got Skillz with him," Pop Fizz suggested.

"Great idea, Pop! You guys watch TV, we'll nab the baby," Spyro confirmed.

"What if he cries? Jet-Vac will hear," Stealth Elf quickly pointed out.

"So we'll put him in a sack," Spyro added in annoyance.

"A really thick sack? Sacks aren't soundproof," Eruptor grimly pointed out.

"So I'll turn up the volume really loud on the TV," Pop Fizz argued.

"What if he bites through the sack?!" Eruptor scolded.

"We'll have more sacks!" Stealth Elf snapped.

"But what if he eats he way out of the second sack, escapes, and ties us all up with a rope he's made with the remaining sacks?"

Stealth Elf could only stare at Eruptor in great disappointment of his persistence.

"Can we please plan this without Eruptor?" Stealth Elf growled.

"I don't think so! Who would ask the hard-hitting questions?" Eruptor protested.

"You mean the over complicated ones," Black Ice stated matter-of-factly.

But before they could continue arguing, Jet-Vac came downstairs, carrying his son and a few bags of luggage as he approached the front door.

"Jet-Vac, where are you going?" Spyro asked out of concern.

"Anywhere but here. You're right, my son is far too dangerous here, especially with your own kids on the way," Jet-Vac replied while sharing a look of concern with Eruptor and Black Ice, "So, I'm taking my son with me to a safer place, where I can raise him without him causing any more trouble."

The others didn't know what to say. It was his child, so only he could decide what to do with it. They could only silently watch as their beloved team leader opened the door, preparing to head out into the unknown world with his evil spawn.

But as soon as Jet-Vac opened the door, he was instantly greeted by a Greeble couple with a similar blue egg.

"We want our son back!" the female Greeble demanded.

Confused and intrigued, Jet-Vac let the Greebles in and even offered them some tea, sitting down with them as they explained that Jet-Vac's baby was actually their baby Greeble.

"Seriously, we thought you'd realize you took the wrong egg by now," the female Greeble nagged.

"A baby Greeble looks nothing like a bird, Guy…or a bird-guy," the male Greeble added.

"Right. Well, then, yes…" Jet-Vac began, holding his own blue and lifeless egg in his claws, "Now that you've pointed it out, it does seem very obvious."

"Hey!" Stealth Elf shouted and suddenly teleported outside, snatching one of her blades from the baby Greeble before he could murder an innocent sheep, "No! Naughty!"

She then grabbed the baby and teleported him back inside, quickly putting him down before he could try to hurt her, too.

"Greeble family, I have a confession to make," Jet-Vac reluctantly began, "It seems I've raised your son to by infinitely evil. I don't know how it happened, but I am _so_ sorry. I'll do whatever it takes to-."

"Are you kidding?!" the wife interrupted, a satisfied grin creeping onto her and her husband's face, "This kid is _way_ more evil that we could've hoped for!"

Jet-Vac was perplexed, "Uh…come again?"

"Look, we Greebles are pretty evil to begin with, but it looks like under your care, Junior here has thrived," the husband explained with a chuckle, "I mean, he's already mastered theft, weaponry, and hostage taking. They usually don't do that until kindergarten!"

As if to prove his point, the baby Greeble suddenly captured Eruptor in a big sack, as the lava monster helplessly cried out for help and wriggled to escape, but to no avail.

"Get off the baby daddy!" Black Ice scolded and pushed the baby off of Eruptor, but she had to continue fending him off because he wouldn't give up.

"So, I didn't fail as a parent?" Jet-Vac asked with hope.

"JV, you did the opposite of failed," Spyro reassured with a smirk, "You succeeded in helping a young Greeble grow to be more evil than he's supposed to be."

"Spyro's right. You faced your parenting fears, and were willing to sacrifice everything to make a new life with your son," Pop Fizz went on dramatically.

"And as much as it goes against my own paternal instincts—I gotta admit you did a pretty good job raising this kid, too," Black Ice huffed, trying to catch her breath when the baby Greeble finally gave up on laying siege on poor Eruptor.

"You're right. I am a successful parent. In your face, Dad!" Jet-Vac shouted in pride, leaping onto the coffee table and pointing to the heavens.

But the Greeble couple was rather freaked out by the old bird's sudden burst of energy, and they exchanged confused glances.

"We're gonna take our son and go," the wife slowly stated, as her husband picked up their son, "Fight ya another day, Skylanders!"

With that, the Greeble family left, finally complete, but the baby started longingly back at Jet-Vac, wanting to stay with him. And Jet-Vac could only shed a single tear, as he watched his only child, albeit fake, disappear.

"Goodbye. You've changed me for the better, and I shall never forget you…um…" Jet-Vac sniffled before remembering an important factor.

"You didn't name him, did you?" Stealth Elf questioned flatly.

"I know I forgot something. Curses!"

"You still done good, JV," Spyro complimented, only for Jet-Vac to glare when he saw his teeth.

"Spyro, how many times do I have to tell you to floss daily? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Mate. Also, the living room is not your bedroom. Clean this sty pronto, Skypiggies!" Jet-Vac sighed and rolled his eyes and great disappointment. "Honestly, where would you all be without me?"

"My guess is hopeless and lost," Black Ice figured with a grin after finally freeing Eruptor from the heavily impounded sack, "Which reminds me, we should really go get our own kids back."

"Where did you put them, anyway?" Pop Fizz inquired.

"We left 'em with Hugo," Eruptor simply replied.

Black Ice secretly tried to rush when trying to get Eruptor out of the house, as fear and guilt hung in her conscious.

"Eruptor, we need to talk," she finally stated.

"If it's about last night, I swear, I forgot ta pace myself," Eruptor apologized.

A deep blush spread across Black Ice's face, "Not that! It's the kids!"

The lava monster blinked, "What about 'em?"

Black Ice stopped in her tracks and sighed, "You saw how we dealt with that baby Greeble—what if we can't even handle our own kinds when they misbehave?"

"Hey, there's a difference between misbehavior and just plain evil." Eruptor gently cupped Black Ice's face, looking into her eyes contently. "Our family won't be like that because we'll be the best parents ever."

The dragoness giggled in defeat, "Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

 **Seems that Eruptor is more enthralled about becoming a father than he let's on. But will he really be ready to face the challenge of parenthood?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


End file.
